The Bell of the Lotus
by MsChipper
Summary: An alternate reality from episode 24 onwards, after Jan Di runs away, Ji Hoo finds her and confesses his love for her on the island. What would happen if Jan Di finally saw the truth as it was and came to understand what real love and sacrifice meant? Would she be willing to let go of the past and give him a chance?
1. Chapter 1: The Fool

**A/N:** I wrote this alternate reality in response to my disbelief at how ridiculous the plot had become as we neared the end. Imagine if Jun Pyo never showed up that day and Jan Di finally came to her senses and understood what real love and sacrifice meant. This is my imagining of what it could have been...

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Fool**

 _The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool._  
William Shakespeare

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

He stared at the TV in disbelief, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him again.

Was this what they describe as an act of kismet? Was he really destined to find her?

There she was, behind the reporter, waving two whole fishes in the air, one in each hand. He still couldn't believe it was really her, but there she was, with her smile and all her courageousness.

He was half sure he wasn't imagining it this time. He could even hear her loud voice, shouting over the din, trying to make a sale.

He leaned forward anxiously, eyes never leaving her on the screen, ears listening intently to where this location could be.

Once he got that vital detail, he switched the TV off, grabbed his jacket and ran.

It was time to call the guys.

* * *

He stared at Jun Pyo, walking around the pool table.

"I told you, I'm not interested."

His reply to Woo Bin was an obvious lie, but it still angered him. He was frustrated at his best friend's mediocre act of disregard, but more than anything, he had had enough of his constant indecisiveness. Whether Jun Pyo was going to fight for her or not, he decided that he wasn't going to wait around any longer for him to eventually change his mind again.

Time was of the essence, and he was supposed to be her protector.

"To be sure, I'll ask you one final time, do you mean that?"

Without much hesitation, Jun Pyo replied, the usual hint of annoyance in his voice, "You can go see her without me."

He thought it was almost funny how he already knew this would happen.

"Well, I'm going then. It's entirely up to you, whether or not you want to go."

He placed the note with the name of the island he had written earlier on the pool table and left. It was likely that this would be the last time he would ever go out of his way to help his best friend, yet again, make things right with her.

Whether or not Jun Pyo showed up, he'd already made up his mind that he was going to tell her the truth.

* * *

It felt like a million hours had gone by, but he had finally made it onto the island.

He asked around and eventually managed to find where she lived. He got there as fast as he could, but as he approached the house, he was surprised to find that a small mob had gathered outside.

Upon approaching the scene, he saw that Jan Di, her mother and her brother were being threatened and surrounded by these villagers.

Amidst the growing chatter, one of the women suddenly burst aloud, "Give us back our money now!"

The next thing he knew, all hell broke loose and the crowd started attacking them right in front of their own home.

These villagers were like vultures with their greed. The way they preyed on her and her family disgusted him, but it was the look of despair on her face that pained him the most. His heart once again ached seeing her in this state.

Calmly, he walked right into the chaos.

"I'll give you the money," he said aloud, breaking the bedlam.

It was then that they stopped, and the vultures turned their attention on him, gaping in amazement while they whispered about him amongst themselves.

Jan Di stared at him too, her eyes wide with surprise, "Sunbae!"

The women looked between the two of them and some of them started to smile as they continued their whispering. Maybe they would leave her and her family alone now, but just to be sure, he repeated himself, "The money, I'll give it to you."

He returned his gaze to Jan Di and she looked at him apologetically. He could tell that aside from gratitude, she was more embarrassed by the entire incident.

She couldn't tell from his cool composure, but a flood of relief and elation came over him as he stood there. He still couldn't quite believe that he'd finally found her.

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

After he wrote and handed out the cheques, they went for a walk around the island, taking the scenic route by the beach.

The peaceful company and quiet was a nice change from all the recent madness and she had almost forgotten how much she loved these moments with him. His calm and reassuring presence never failed to put her at ease.

She supposed that she should be wishing it was Jun Pyo strolling beside her, but if she were really honest with herself now, she was actually thankful that it was Ji Hoo instead. She imagined if Jun Pyo was here, they would be fighting like cat and dog again, and at the moment, she just didn't want to deal with that.

Before there was Jun Pyo, even before she ever knew who the F4 were, she knew of him. She had seen him standing there and it was then that she guessed that this was what people must mean when they describe what love at first sight was. She thought back to him playing that sad and beautiful melody on his violin. That day, he had appeared like an angel standing before her, and she could never fathom at the time that he would eventually become her first love, and then her guardian angel.

She stole a glimpse of him as he stood beside her in silence, looking out at a passing fishing boat sailing out into the ocean.

When did their lives become so bound to each other? Even when she chose Jun Pyo over him, he remained her loyal and steadfast personal firefighter, appearing whenever the emergency bell in her heart rang. Through the good and bad times, when she needed to cry, or share a laugh, he was always there for her, right by her side, even during the times when she didn't know she needed him.

As they strolled past the lighthouse, he noticed that she had something to say, and stopped in his tracks, glancing at her before he looked away again.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked.

Without looking at her, Ji Hoo answered quietly, "I could hear the bell, your emergency bell."

Her eyes widened at the reply, but it really didn't surprise her.

"Every night, I would listen out for it."

She sighed, "How is that possible? How can you be like this? You've already done so much for me."

I don't deserve someone as good as you, she thought as her tears started to well.

That was when he turned towards her. He bent his head down to hers and held both her shoulders, peering into her eyes, searching hers.

"Because, you've given me so much more," he answered.

He braved a smile, before letting go of her and looked away again, out at the sea. She knew all this turmoil hadn't been easy for him as well and she was sorry that he had to go through all of this because of her. There was a part of her that wanted to hold and comfort him, but she was afraid of what she would do if she gave in to that, so instead she stood beside him and looked out at the sea too.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

The sun had started to set and their walk was soon coming to an end. As they passed along the docks, Jan Di asked, "How's Grandfather doing?"

"He's still working at the clinic. No doubt he'll continue his work there for as long as he possibly can." He smiled at the thought of his Grandfather and how much he loved helping those patients. He was grateful that they both had a renewed relationship now, and it was all thanks to her.

She chuckled, "Yeah that sounds like him, alright."

He thought to himself that this was it. It was now or never. Regardless whether or not he was doing this too late or too soon, even if he was sure that it wouldn't work, and the fear was killing him inside, he had to bite the bullet and ask her.

He turned towards her and took a breath. After finding her location, he decided then that he would rather come clean with his feelings for her and get rejected, than continue to live on in silence and constant regret. He had mentally prepared himself as best as he could, either way.

From around his neck, he took off the silver chain that held his mother's ring and held it out to her.

She had no clue how important this was and what it meant to him, but she held it carefully in her hand, staring at it in curiosity.

"Grandfather gave this to me recently. This once belonged to my grandmother, and then it was my mother's."

She snapped her head up, looking at him with wide eyes, "Sunbae…"

He was afraid of the impending rejection, so he looked away when he confessed, "I don't know when I started to feel this way, but I've come to realize that I can't live without you."


	2. Chapter 2: The Truth

**Chapter 2: The Truth**

 _Truth is everybody is going to hurt you: you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for._  
Bob Marley

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

She held the ring in her hand, not quite knowing how to respond.

She knew she should be telling him that she couldn't return his love. She should be saying that she still hasn't gotten over Jun Pyo yet, that she couldn't let go of him, that he was still the love of her life, the only one for her. She should apologize to him, return the ring and let Ji Hoo move on.

But yet, as she said those words to herself, she knew it was a lie. She didn't want to let Ji Hoo go, and somewhere along the line, she realized that while Jun Pyo did love her, it was never going to be enough to overcome all the obstacles that came with their relationship. Was love meant to be this hard or was it just that they were never really meant to be in the first place?

It had been all fireworks and passion in their relationship, but when things got hard, he could never really be there for her, even if he wanted. And as much as he claimed that he needed her in his life, she knew that he would never love her enough to leave his mother or the Shinhwa Group.

Not that it was his fault, and not that she would ever make him do that, or want him to, but she knew that as long as he was to inherit the Shinhwa empire someday, their days together would always be troubled and difficult. She knew his mother would stop at nothing to wreck their relationship and she already swore to herself that she would never allow anyone else in her life to get hurt because of it.

And then she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Ji Hoo was in Jun Pyo's shoes. Would he cut ties with his family and walk away from everything to be with her?

She looked up to see Ji Hoo staring down at her. There was fear and hurt in his eyes, and it was heartbreaking to see him like this.

"Ji Hoo, I…I can't accept it, because I haven't earned the right to deserve this."

Her tears welled up uncontrollably, as she handed him back the ring.

He held it tightly, knuckles turning white, and she could see the pain on his face. She felt like the worst human being in the world but she knew she had to tell him the truth. She owed him that much.

Cautiously, she said, "What I mean is that I still have feelings for Jun Pyo and it wouldn't be fair to you if we started a relationship now, you know? I care a lot about you, but until I'm sure that I'm really over Jun Pyo..."

He gave a puzzled look.

"What I'm trying to say, is that it wouldn't be fair to you if we didn't do this right."

"That didn't sound like a total rejection; at least, I don't think so."

"No, it wasn't, but it wasn't a total acceptance either."

She quickly wiped a tear away before it could fall, "I just don't want to hurt you, Sunbae."

She could see that he was starting to look more hopeful, but still he asked, "Then tell me, Jan Di, if given enough time, would you ever be willing to give us a chance?"

She recalled that time on Jeju Island, when he told her that he had only one thing he wished for, and that it was for her to be happy and not cry anymore.

This time, she gave him a small smile, "The world is full of pain and suffering as it is, and I think that if you manage to find some happiness in it, then you should hold on to it. Don't you think?"

"So is that a yes?"

"Well, I would be an idiot if I wasn't willing to give us another chance, wouldn't it?"

She saw the joy fill his eyes, as her own tears started to fall. And almost like magic, his handkerchief appeared out of nowhere and once again he wiped her tears away, but this time was different from all the others, because this time he was wiping away her tears of joy.

"Ugh, I'm sorry I'm such a cry baby." She sniffled through the last of her tears.

After he put the handkerchief away, they looked at each other again.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Jan Di." He finally gave a small smile of his own, "In fact, thank you, for being willing to try, even if it's sometime in the future."

She smiled back at him, it was the first genuine smile she had since she left Seoul. For some reason, they couldn't take their eyes off each other, and then their grins started to flourish into laughter, neither quite sure why nor what was so hilarious, but it could have been that they both finally felt like just maybe, they could get through this, if they stuck together.

Ji Hoo playfully tugged the jacket of her sleeve towards him and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.

He bent his head, leaning it against hers as he whispered, "It's going to be okay, Jan Di. Everything's going to be okay."

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

By the time they arrived back in Seoul, it was the wee hours of the next morning. Ji Hoo was completely spent and exhausted, but he'd never felt happier coming home with Jan Di by his side. It was as if a small miracle happened and not only was she coming back to live with him, but she also admitted that she may one day be open to giving them a real chance.

"Lucky for us that it's Saturday today," Jan Di whispered as she quietly entered Ji Hoo's home, mindful that Grandfather was probably still asleep.

Following behind Jan Di with her luggage in tow, Ji Hoo nodded in response, "Promise me you'll get some sleep and proper rest this time. You still have to go back to Shinhwa High on Monday."

Knowing how noisy it would be to roll the luggage across the floor, he easily lifted it up instead and carried it into the guest room that had become Jan Di's bedroom for the past few weeks, before she had left them so abruptly.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she trailed after him into the bedroom, closing the door behind her silently, "What do you mean back to Shinhwa High?"

He placed her luggage in a corner before turning back to face her, "I didn't ask permission from your mother to bring you back here just so you can skive off and live the easy life, you know."

She made a face at him, "Very funny, Sunbae."

He grinned at her, it wasn't often that he had a sense of humour, but there was just something about Jan Di that spontaneously brought out of his funny side.

"I mean," she explained, "why am I going back to Shinhwa High? I promised Jun Pyo's mother that I would disappear from his radar and transfer schools already, I can't go back on my word."

"Jan Di, if you really want to go to medical school someday, your best chance will be showing them that you graduated from Shinhwa High. And I refuse to let Jun Pyo's mother ruin your future like that. Anyway, you don't have to worry about it. Just make sure you turn up for school on Monday."

"But what do you mean…"

"We can talk more about this later, but right now we both need some sleep, okay?"

Just as he reached the door, she called out as loud as she could without shouting, "Sunbae!"

He turned back, regarding her with a tilt of his head.

"Thank you, for everything you've done for me. I...I really appreciate it."

He wanted to hold her tightly in his arms, telling her that it was he who was thankful for everything about her, but instead, he replied, "Goodnight Jan Di, sleep well."

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

Jan Di yawned and stretched lazily in bed for a moment, she was about to get ready for another day at the fish market before she remembered that she was no longer living on the island as of this morning.

She thought about the events that led to her coming back to Ji Hoo's home and sighed. She wasn't looking forward to going back to Shinhwa High or seeing Jun Pyo again, but she did miss spending time with Grandfather and everyone at the clinic, not to mention Ga-eul and the rest of the F4. She hoped everyone was okay since her departure from the city.

After getting dressed for the day, she took a look at her watch and was surprised to see that it was almost mid-day already. She wandered into the dining room and saw that the dining table was set for two, but there was no one there.

She took a closer look at the generous spread and noticed that they were mostly her favourites. Her stomach growled in response to the feast and she clutched at it, willing her empty tummy to be quiet.

"Oh, Jan Di, you're finally awake! It's so good to see you again."

She turned to see Grandfather approaching the table with yet another dish in hand.

"Oh! Grandfather, let me help you!"

The old man shook his head, "No, no, I'm fine, Jan Di. Just sit here and eat with me."

She took a seat at one of the settings and waited for him to be seated as well before asking, "How have you been, Grandfather? Has your health been fine? I hope you haven't missed me too much."

"Ah, you wish!" He chuckled, "But, Jan Di, honestly, you had us worried there for a while, leaving so suddenly. Why did you do that?"

She looked down at her bowl of rice guiltily, "I'm sorry for leaving like that. I was just trying to…"

"I know you were trying to protect us, but tsk, you're a silly girl, you know? Do you think that we couldn't handle that woman ourselves?"

Jan Di continued staring at her bowl in silence.

Grandfather sighed, "Anyway, don't ever try to run away like that again, alright? You have no idea how annoying it's been to live with a mopey Ji Hoo!"

She couldn't help but crack a smile, and at the mention of Ji Hoo, she looked back up at Grandfather.

"Speaking of Ji Hoo, where is he?"

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

"She's ready to see you now," said Mr. Jung.

"Thank you, and please I'd appreciate it if you don't mention my being here today to Jun Pyo."

Mr. Jung nodded and ushered him into her office.

Ji Hoo took a deep breath, bracing himself before walking into the lion's den.

Kang Hee Soo was at her desk when he entered the room. She looked up from her stack of documents, raising an amused eyebrow at his sudden appearance.

"Among all of Jun Pyo's friends, you're the one I least expected to request a meeting alone with me. It's not like you to be so audacious, but please, I insist you take a seat," she said.

Ji Hoo nodded and sat on the other side of the desk, matching her stare with his own. It was unnerving being alone in the same room as her, but he knew he had to do this. Not just for Jan Di, but for his Grandfather as well.

"So what brings you here today? I hope your Grandfather is doing well."

As much as he wanted to tell her to shut up, he ignored her jibe and said calmly, "I just wanted to inform you that Jan Di will be going back to Shinhwa High next week, and with regards to your bid on the foundation, I hope that you will cease any further acts of hostility against my Grandfather moving forward. We both know that he's done nothing to you, and is the last person in the world to deserve your wrath."

The older woman cackled out loud, shaking her head in amazement, "I believe this is the first time I've ever heard you say so many words in one go, and so eloquently, might I add. But more than this, I have to admit that I'm even more impressed at Jan Di. I have to hand it to that cunning girl. She's cast a spell over all of you; even your poor Grandfather has fallen for her charms!"

"I promise you that she's not going back to Jun Pyo if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh, is that so? And how can you be so sure of it?"

Without any hesitation, he replied, "Because I'm going to marry her some day in the near future."

Even as he said it, he knew without a doubt that the statement was true for him. The only problem was whether or not Jan Di would ever love him back. For all he knew, he could be spending the rest of his remaining days as Jan Di's permanent crying shoulder as she pined away for Jun Pyo.

Madam Kang smiled, "Haven't you been playing a key role in getting my son and her together since this all began? Why should I start believing you now?"

"Because I love her,"

Again, she laughed aloud, "I find it so funny how everyone loves this brat so much! It just amazes me!"

Ji Hoo sat in stony silence. He didn't care if she mocked him as long as she would agree to his requests. He waited until she had composed herself from all the laughter.

"Do we have an agreement?" He asked.

For a moment, she regarded him with an unexpected look of fondness, "You know, Ji Hoo, despite being so different from my son, you're both in fact similar in so many ways as well. I suppose that's why the two of you have always been best friends."

It looked as though she was thinking back on happier memories, but Ji Hoo knew better, and he watched as her warm gaze transformed into something darker. She offered him a shrewd smile and he felt his heart sink.

"And despite what people often think about me, I can be very generous. In fact, I would be more than happy to grant both your wishes, as long as you promise to keep to one simple condition."

He held his breath, knowing that there would be a heavy price to pay for his loved ones' happiness and future.


	3. Chapter 3: The Cost

**Chapter 3: The Cost**

 _The most sublime act is to set another before you._  
William Blake

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

"I'm not sure where Ji Hoo went, but he left really early this morning and told me to make sure that you don't run away again. Otherwise, all his efforts in finding you these past few weeks would be in vain."

Jan Di frowned, she wasn't sure why, but it made her anxious not knowing where Ji Hoo was. She tried again, "Grandfather, are you sure Ji Hoo…"

Ignoring the concern in her voice, the old man asked, "Speaking of Ji Hoo, he tells me you've decided to become a doctor someday, eh?"

For now, she knew she wasn't going to get her answer, so she nodded in reply, while still frowning, "I hope so, but I'm not sure if I can do it at this point. Unlike Ji Hoo Sunbae, my grades aren't doing so well and to be honest, I know that I'll have to work ten times as hard as anyone else in this school to qualify for the next stage of education."

Grandfather laughed, "That is true, and for the time being, you will have to focus more on studies and less on all your part time work, even at the clinic."

"But I like helping out over there, it's a great stress reliever for me."

"Well, if that's the case, maybe you can still help out a bit, you can even bring your homework and studies to the clinic if it helps save some time."

"Thank you, Grandfather, you're the best!"

"And I suppose that would also help take your mind off all those other things going on in your life. I hate to sound old, but I can't help notice that young people these days live such complicated lives."

Jan Di nodded again in agreement, for the sake of her future, she would have to find a way to put Jun Pyo and their troubled relationship on the back burner for the time being.

"With that said, I also have to admit though that being clever in your studies doesn't necessarily mean that you'll end up being a good doctor."

"Huh?" That comment took her by surprise, "What do you mean, Grandfather?"

"You see, you first need to have your heart in the right place. The fundamental basic to being a good doctor is that you genuinely want to help your patients live a better life. And in your case, I believe that you've already got that, Jan Di."

"You really think so?"

"Yes, I do." Grandfather replied, but then his cheerful disposition faded somewhat and he sighed, a worried look of concern clouded over him, "But as for Ji Hoo, I can't be sure if medical school is the right path for him. As much as I would like him to follow in my footsteps, I know music is his first love and true passion, I remember how much he used to enjoy his piano lessons."

"Grandfather, I'm sure he loves both music and being a doctor equally."

"Oh, but you see Jan Di, even as a child, Ji Hoo had a kind heart. He was always putting others in his life before him, sacrificing his own well-being and happiness in the process. And though I know that this is my Grandson's greatest gift as far as being a good person goes, I'm also afraid that it is his greatest weakness as well. And by the time he realizes that being a doctor isn't what he wants, it would be too late for regrets by then."

Hearing those words made Jan Di's heart ache with sadness and guilt. Had she been so self-absorbed in her own problems with Jun Pyo that she failed to see the pain that he was going through? She felt herself holding back tears as she thought about Grandfather's observations.

"Jan Di, promise me that you'll look out for him, okay? Whatever happens in life, both of you need to take care of each other, especially when I'm no longer around on this earth."

"Grandfather, please don't say such terrible things!"

"It's true, child. I can't always be here to make sure that you two stay out of trouble, you know. One of these days, my poor grandson is going to be all alone in this world, and as strong as he is, he's still going to need encouragement and support from those closest around him."

"But Grandfather, that day's still a long time away! There are still so many things to look forward to. Like, coming to my graduation ceremony once I finish medical school, and congratulating me when I start working at the clinic. You know, stuff like that."

"Well, if you promise to take care of each other, I'll bet the chances of you graduating will certainly be a lot higher."

Jan Di narrowed her eyes, "That's not funny!"

The old man grinned, "Hah! I beg to differ. That statement was not only funny, but also true."

She sighed in defeat, placing her chopsticks on the table.

"So you'll agree to keep your promise?" He asked again.

"I not only promise to take care of Ji Hoo, but I'll make sure to do better so I won't disappoint you. And I really am sorry that I've made you worry so much about me these past few weeks. I admit that I could've handled things a lot better."

Grandfather gave a small, but hopeful smile.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Jan Di. You're still a kid, but definitely a good one and you both still have such a long way to go in life."

"Yes, but you're going to be there with us, aren't you?"

He laughed again, "You know, I've come to believe that Ji Hoo must have done something truly benevolent in his last life to have you in this one."

Jan Di shook her head, "It should be the other way around, Grandfather. I owe a lot to Ji Hoo and yourself. You've inspired me and given me a direction for my future, while Ji Hoo Sunbae's been my constant support system and I would've never survived as long as I could in Shinwha High without him."

The moment of self-actualization surprised her and she wondered why she had never thought about it this way before. She knew he was her personal firefighter but she never considered how profound his actions had been. Despite her own grit and endurance, and no matter how much she loved Jun Pyo, she had to admit that if it weren't for Ji Hoo's timely rescues, which were often in her darkest of hours, she would've probably left Shinwha High a long time ago.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

Madam Kang hadn't stated her terms yet, but she was already smiling at him as though she were the cat that ate the canary.

"So what is your condition?" Ji Hoo asked.

"All you need to do is simply end your friendship with my son. From today onwards, I'd like you to cease all contact with Jun Pyo. It's that simple."

And there it was. The price of what he was asking for both Jan Di and his grandfather. Everyone in F4 knew she never wanted Jun Pyo to have any close friends, but this was the first time she was actually trying to make it happen.

"And why would you want to do this to your own son?"

"This may not seem obvious, and maybe you don't even recognize it yourself, but I've come to the conclusion that you are often the reason why Jan Di and my son have a relationship in the first place. Had you not gotten involved or influenced either of them with your advice or actions, I doubt they would've lasted together for so long."

He recalled what Jae Kyung said about the time she asked Jun Pyo to choose between friendship or love and his answer was both because he wouldn't give either up.

But what would he do if he were to lose both friendship and love at the same time? Could he even refuse defeat if both were forcibly taken away from him? Could he even do anything about it at all?

He stared at Madam Kang as she smiled back at him, almost maliciously. She was, in no doubt, taking a lot of pleasure in placing him in such a dilemma.

"When my son was in Macau, I warned him that I would ruin her if he tried to continue his relationship with Jan Di. And for a while, it worked perfectly. He complied and everything was going according to plan with the merger and expansion with the JK Group, that is until she and the rest of you came along and ruined things."

"So you hope to use the same kind of threat on me?"

"I wouldn't call it a threat per say, just a strategy to ensure the future success of the Shinhwa Empire. I would even go so far as to say that this is an improved tactic because my son only had a single reason to do as I instructed, but now I have two very good ones to offer you."

It had been a while since Ji Hoo felt such rage coursing through his veins, but he kept his expression blank, not allowing a shred of emotion to show on the surface.

"Alright then, I won't initiate any contact with your son, and if he tries to get in touch, I won't reciprocate."

"You've made a wise decision, Ji Hoo. And please help me remind Jan Di that just because she's back in Shinhwa High, she should know that it still doesn't mean she's allowed to talk to my son. That part of our deal is still in effect."

He could barely stand the sight of her now, but as he stood from his seat, he stared down at her coldly, leaving her with a parting statement that she would never forget, "You may deem me the most vulnerable member of the F4, but I suggest that you tread lightly from now on. Because regardless of how formidable you may believe yourself to be, if you ever even think about hurting my family again, I'll make sure you regret it."

* * *

Ji Hoo returned home feeling a lot more exhausted than usual. All he wanted to do was catch a nice long nap on his comfy bed. He entered the house silently and got into his room as soon as he could, sleep started to overcome him even before his head touched the pillow.

Unfortunately, just as he shut his eyes, he could hear his bedroom door creak open, followed by the soft shuffling of footsteps entering his room.

A voice whispered, tentatively, "Sunbae?"

When he didn't reply, the footsteps approached closer to his bed.

"Sunbae, are you awake?"

The voice was much closer this time. Reluctantly he opened his eyes, and found Jan Di staring down at him with her own wide worried ones.

"Are you okay, Jan Di?"

"Me? Oh, I'm fine…I was just…wondering if you were…ummm…"

"Whatever it is, you can just tell me."

"Well, I just wanted to know where you went this morning. I mean, is everything really going to be okay? Grandfather just said that you left very early today and I got worried and…I was wondering about what you said yesterday about me going back to school, and…."

Knowing that this wasn't going to be a short nor easy conversation, he shut his eyes for one last precious moment before dragging himself out of bed. Wordlessly, he went to the refrigerator to get a drink, before heading out to the garden with Jan Di following his lead.

He found himself caught in a problematic predicament ever since he left Madam Kang's office, and it was part of the reason why he was feeling so drained now. He knew for certain that Jan Di would ask, and while he understood that he couldn't tell her the whole truth, he also didn't want to lie to her.

He had been deliberating about it throughout his journey back home, and even after weighing all the pros and cons of either alternative, he still couldn't decide which one would be best for her. In the end, he knew that he had to possibly accept that there was never going to be a right course of action for this situation.

As they settled on one of the stone benches out in the garden, he pulled the tab off the soda can and took a sip of the carbonated drink, realizing for the first time today that this was the first drink of anything he's had since he got up this morning. Now that he thought about it, he didn't think that there was ever a time before this, where he'd been so stressed out about anything.

He couldn't tell if this was a good or bad development, but he wanted to laugh out loud at how crazy things have become since she entered his life.

With a wry smile, he asked, "So how was your day?"

Surprised by the question, she looked at him in bewilderment, "Eh?"

"I hope Grandfather didn't give you too hard a time this morning. He won't really admit this, but he was upset at your sudden departure."

Jan Di gave him a sheepish look, "Yeah, I got the feeling that he wasn't too pleased with my runaway stunt."

"What happened?"

She provided a detailed account of her embarrassingly late start to the day, followed by her brunch conversation with Grandfather about their respective futures.

She ended her narrative by concluding, "As much as he would love the idea of you taking over the practice, he's worried that you're going to eventually regret not following your actual dreams, which he believes is music."

Ji Hoo looked up at the clouds drifting slowly across the sky. For a brief moment, he wondered what it would be like to be one of those white fluffy clouds, floating freely across the horizon, just moving along with the breeze without a care in sight.

A few seconds passed, before Jan Di broke the silence, "So telling you how my day was, doesn't mean you're going to reveal how yours went, right?"

That broke his gaze away from the clouds. He looked into her eyes and replied, "I went to see Jun Pyo's mother this morning."

Jan Di stared back at him, her jaw dropped in shock, "Sunbae, y-you're joking, right? Please tell me you are. Or are you suffering from a fever so high, it's made you lost all your senses? Why would you do something like that?"

"I'm fine, Jan Di. I just had to make sure that both you and Grandfather were going to be safe."

He waited for her to ask what Madam Kang wanted in return for their safety, but the question never came. He wondered perhaps if that first part of the truth was already too much for her.

She looked as though she had a million things she wanted to say, but in the end, she turned to look towards the same sky he had been staring at earlier.

With her eyes fixed on one of the clouds, she asked, "Do you ever wish that you could be like one of these white fluffy clouds sometimes? All carefree and perfect, imagine what life would be like if you never had to worry about things like where you have to go or why you're moving in any particular direction. All you have to do is basically just go with the flow."

Given the similarities in their thoughts, he laughed, "Well, I might be able to live life as a wandering cloud, but given your personality, I imagine you would be bored with that pretty quickly. If anything, I think you would enjoy being a storm cloud instead."

Jan Di pouted adorably, "Hey, that's so not true! I could easily be one of those white puffy and fluffy clouds too."

"But you know storm clouds have an important role to play in our ecosystem, right? Without them bringing the rain, our fields wouldn't be green and the trees, plants and flowers on our land wouldn't be able to flourish, animals that depend on fresh water to fill the lakes and such would die of thirst. Essentially, nature wouldn't be as beautiful if we didn't have rain."

"Sunbae…"

He couldn't help but smile as he concluded, "That's basically who you are Jan Di, someone who brings life and beauty into the lives of others. And whatever happens, just know that I wouldn't change you for the world."


	4. Chapter 4: The Plan

**Chapter 4: The Plan**

 _If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans._  
Woody Allen

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

Emerging from her room, Jan Di took in a deep breath and threw her arms up, stretching them as high as she possibly could. Ji Hoo, who had been sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other, looked up just in time to see her plunge herself on the other side of the couch.

"Isn't it great that the weekend is finally here?" She asked, sighing serenely.

Ji Hoo chuckled, "Did you have another rough week at school?"

"Hmm, not really, more like looking forward to all the great possibilities this weekend is going to bring."

It had been three weeks since she returned to school and she had to admit that so far, things were for once, looking good for her. Life was actually peaceful as all things were quiet on the Jun Pyo front. She had done her best to avoid him, and it seemed like he might've been doing the same as well.

While recovering from her breakup with him hadn't been easy, she was mostly thankful for Ji Hoo and Grandfather's support, helping her adjust to her new lifestyle of focusing on herself as she spent most of her time between catching up with all her studies, working at the porridge shop, and helping Grandfather out at the clinic.

For the first time since transferring to Shinhwa High, she was finally starting to feel more in control of her life.

He put the book down and ruffled her hair, "It's good to see you smiling again, Jan Di. Keep it up, yeah?"

She beamed at him with joy, "Well, a lot of that is thanks to you."

Ji Hoo shook his head, "I only helped a little. It was you who did most of the work."

"Aigoo, why are you always so modest?"

Ji Hoo simply smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

"Anyway, I can't wait to see Ga Eul later. It's been forever since I last saw her and I'm feeling quite guilty about being such a bad best friend."

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it," Ji Hoo said, "I think she's been spending a lot of time with Yi Jung lately, so I'm sure she hasn't been too lonely."

Jan Di frowned, feeling disappointed in herself for not knowing that, "Do you think they're dating?"

"Hmm, no, that's not likely. But I'm guessing like most girls who spend time with Yi Jung, they generally end up falling for him. And knowing him, he probably won't return her feelings anytime soon."

"But why won't he? I mean, not that I approve of him dating Ga Eul, but he likes her, right?"

Ji Hoo shrugged, "Even if he does, she's not his typical type, so who knows what's going on with those two? I guess, when it comes to the affairs of the heart between two people, it's always going to be complicated. The only real question is if they still want to be with the other person and accept them for who they are, no matter how complicated it gets."

She didn't quite know what to say to that, but then, she wasn't sure if he was actually talking about Yi Jung and Ga Eul or the both of them.

* * *

After nearly an entire afternoon of shopping, the girls decided to rest their feet and catch up over coffee and ice cream at one of their favorite cafés.

"Don't you just love browsing through all those bags, clothes and shoes, even if we're mostly just trying them out for fun?" Jan Di grinned as she took another sip of her iced coffee.

"Of course, I do! It's my one chance to feel like a real runway model." Ga Eul giggled, as she took a spoonful of ice cream, "Mmmm, and the ice cream here, it's so good!"

"You can't believe how much I've missed all this, Ga Eul. They sure didn't have such ice cream, coffee or awesome best friends on that island."

"Yeah, and speaking of missing things, how are things with you and Jun Pyo?"

"There's really not much going on there, I guess. I mean, we haven't seen each other since our breakup," Jan Di confessed with a slight shrug and smirked, "So I suppose he doesn't care, or just does not want to see me anymore. Either way, I don't care."

"But that can't be true, we all know he's nuts about you."

"To be fair, I've also been avoiding all the places where the F4 hang out. I just want life to go back to normal, and not be the cause of any more drama or problems."

"But do you miss him?"

Jan Di lowered her gaze, stirring her iced coffee with the straw, "Honestly? I don't know. Maybe not as much as I thought I would, but it could be because I've been occupied with my studies and helping out at the clinic. I guess keeping busy has certainly helped to keep my mind off him."

Just then, there was a commotion near the entrance, and both girls looked up in time to see the other female patrons in the café getting excited and starstruck by the sudden appearance of Yi Jung.

Jan Di watched Ga Eul's eyes lit up as he strolled up to their table. He gave his usual charming smile before sliding into the empty seat next to Ga Eul.

"Hello Yi Jung Sunbae," Jan Di said, "Long time no see."

"Hey Jan Di, yeah, it's been a while and aside from Ji Hoo, the rest of the F4 have really missed you!"

"Have you guys really missed me?" Jan Di teased, "I would think that you're here today because of Ga Eul. Aren't you two spending a lot of time together these days?"

Yi Jung flinched ever so slightly, and Jan Di caught the two exchanging a brief glance as both of them tried to laugh it off. In an attempt to recover, he quickly replied, "But I'm actually here today because of you."

"Huh? Are you serious?"

"Yes, you're the one I'm looking for, Jan Di and I need you to come with me now."

"Are you really sure you don't mean Ga Eul?"

Yi Jung nodded, "Yes, it's you that I want."

"Hey! Stop that! Urgh, why would you say such weird things?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

She looked to Ga Eul, who in contrast, didn't look the least bit shocked at the sudden turn of events, "Ga Eul, what's going on?"

Her best friend smiled mischievously, "It's okay, Jan Di. We're just trying to help out a friend."

"What friend?"

"You'll know when we get there." Yi Jung said.

"Where is there exactly?"

"It's a surprise," Ga Eul whispered in hushed excitement, backing him up.

Stunned by her best friend's support for Yi Jung, she asked, "Exactly what kind of surprise are we talking about?"

"We're not at liberty to say," Yi Jung replied, "but you have nothing to worry about it. We just need you to trust us, Jan Di. You'll have to believe us when we say it's for the sake of your future happiness."

"Right, the very fact that you said I don't have to worry, makes me worried."

"Look, if it helps put your mind at ease, Ga Eul can come along for the ride if you'd like."

Jan Di narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously, "No, it's not going to help if she's part of this conspiracy too. You two aren't selling me away, are you?"

They both laughed out loud, and Ga Eul said, "C'mon, don't you trust us, Jan Di? As your best friend, you should have confidence that my support in this is for your own good!"

"Of course, I do, but can't you two just tell me what this is all about?"

Both of them shook their heads concurrently.

Jan Di scowled at them before sighing in defeat, "All right, fine. I'll do it, but only because of you, Ga Eul."

"Yes, that's great to hear! C'mon then, Jan Di, let's go." Yi Jung stood, extending his crooked arm towards her like a gentleman, willing her to take it.

"Really, guys? You two aren't going to tell me a thing about what's going on?"

Jan Di looked from Ga Eul to Yi Jung and back again, both staring blankly back at her. She frowned in annoyance as she took his arm reluctantly.

Ga Eul smiled and waved at her as they left the café, "Bye Jan Di, I hope everything goes okay."

Jan Di waved back but didn't think much of that parting statement until she got into Yi Jung's car.

"Wait, did she say she hopes everything goes _okay_?" Jan Di panicked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

"Is this your home?" Jan Di asked, as the car pulled up at the driveway.

"It's my studio," Yi Jung replied.

"Why did we have to come here?" Jan Di folded her arms in annoyance. Throughout the ride, her multiple attempts to extract further information from Yi Jung about the secret mission failed and it was leaving her in an increasingly bad mood. "Were you planning on giving me a free pottery making lesson today?"

Yi Jung flashed a cheeky grin before getting out of the car, "You're so funny, Jan Di. C'mon, just humour me for a little longer. All the answers to your questions can be found in there."

Jan Di rolled her eyes but followed him up the steps without any further comment or argument. Yi Jung walked in first, and she was about to follow suit until she saw who was waiting in the studio. She stopped just before the doorway, feet momentarily frozen to the spot.

"Gu Jun Pyo…"

Jun Pyo stood from the wooden bench when he saw her, he gave a hesitant smile before he approached, "Jan Di, please come in."

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered as she slowly backed away from him. Just as she was starting to heal from their breakup and thoughts of him no longer caused her heartache and tears, the sight of him standing in front of her now made her sick to her stomach. She turned and walked away.

Jun Pyo was about to give chase, but Yi Jung stopped him, "Hold on, Jun Pyo. Let me talk to her."

He stepped back outside and was thankful that she hadn't run off. She stood near the edge of the patio, just before the steps leading down to the driveway. Leaning against the brick wall of his studio, she was taking in deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself.

He approached her cautiously, "Jan Di, are you okay?"

She shook her head, "How can I move on with my life when the past keeps coming back to haunt me?"

"I wish I could give you an answer to that, but I can't. What I can tell you is that Jun Pyo wanted to see you when you got back from the island. But we just learnt his mother's having his every move tracked by a private investigator, so he thought it would be better if you both weren't caught together. Even today, you wouldn't believe the amount of effort it took for Woo Bin to get him here without being followed. He said it was like a paparazzi car chase."

"Are we living in a Hollywood movie?" She laughed sarcastically, "What kind of mother does that to her own son? Yi Jung Sunbae, I'm sorry, but after all that's happened, I'm not sure if I can take any more of Jun Pyo's drama…I'm just so tired of all this."

"Listen, I understand this is hard for you, but we haven't got a lot of time before his mother finds out, so why don't you come in first? Give him a chance to explain everything, hear him out and then I'll take you back to Ji Hoo's once you're done. I know Jun Pyo loves you with all of his heart, even if he doesn't know how to express it sometimes."

Jan Di closed her eyes for a second, calming her nerves as best as she could.

"I'm sure you can do this, Jan Di."

She nodded as she pushed away from the wall, "Actually I can't, but whatever. When it comes to him, does it really matter what I feel anymore?"

Yi Jung was briefly taken aback by her harsh words, but before he could respond, she headed to the studio on her own.

Her heart grew heavier with every step she took, but then she turned her thoughts to Ji Hoo. The memory of his steadfast strength and warmth gave her the courage she needed to face what was about to happen.

* * *

After Yi Jung left the studio, Jun Pyo gestured to one of the chairs by the wooden table. Jan Di went over to it while he poured them both some hot tea from one of Yi Jung's handmade ceramic tea pots

She watched his movements quietly, not daring to break the wall of silence between them, save for the sound of tea pouring from pot to cup. Given the way things had ended the last time they met, there was no wonder that the tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Jan Di wondered if he was still hurting from the cruel words she said when they broke up.

She took a nervous sip of the tea and looked over at him.

Jun Pyo was staring at her, his expression was filled with worry as he said, "I'm sorry for everything, Jan Di."

She gave a puzzled look. If anything, she was the one who needed to apologize for hurting him, "Jun Pyo, what are you talking about? There's nothing for you to be sorry for."

"I knew I should've fought harder for you. When Ji Hoo told me where you were on that island, I should have been the one who brought you back. And when you came back, I should have gone to see you the minute you arrived in Seoul. I was being foolish and I truly regret all the hurt I've caused you, Jan Di."

She knew she should've been affected by those words, and she was to some extent, still moved by his honesty and sincerity. But this wasn't the first time he was asking for her forgiveness and by now his apology rang hollow to her. It was hard for her to repeat it, but she knew she had to be cruel to be kind, "No, you don't have to say that, and as I said before, there's nothing to be sorry about. We already ended things, didn't we?"

She could see the immediate hurt she had afflicted on him, but he was undeterred, and again he tried to reach out to her, "Please don't lie to me. I'm very sure that my mother's somehow put you up to this. You can't be serious about breaking up after all we've been through. You said yourself that you couldn't stop loving me even if you tried."

Her tears started to fall as the pain of that memory was relived. On hindsight, she realized now that she should have never told him that.

"And yes," he continued on, "I'm being too selfish now for asking you to come back to me, but I've already tried living without you, and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Jan Di, I don't want to live life without you anymore."

She couldn't bring herself to say it but as much as he claimed he couldn't live without her, she knew that it was more likely that he could never walk away from his mother and live without being a part of the Shinhwa Empire.

"Can't you see the real problem, Jun Pyo? You and I keep going round in circles; we're constantly making up just to break up. We always end up hurting each other and it gets worse every time. How long do you think we can keep this up before we both realize that this isn't how it's supposed to be? This type of relationship isn't fair to either of us."

 _And neither is it fair to the people in our lives who would get hurt if we ever got back together._

As his tears started to well, she felt her heart breaking inside all over again. She wanted to embrace and comfort him but she knew she couldn't trust herself either. She was afraid that any slightest moment of weakness would cause her to fall for him once more and she wasn't about to let that happen.

He hung his head, shaking it as his tears fell, and then suddenly, he looked back up, reaching out to take her hands in his, "But that's only because of the current circumstances we're in. What if I told you that I could protect you from that woman? I know you don't want to accept my help, but for the sake of our future happiness, can't you let me be the one who protects you, just this one single time?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let's run away together. We'll move to the U.S. and start a new life there."

"What? Why would you want to leave?"

"I'm going to lead and expand our business there. And she can't object if I'm doing this for the company. The best part of it all is that she won't be able to stop us from so far away. You and I could start a whole new life together and all you'd have to do is transfer schools and continue your studies there. You won't even have to worry about it affecting your graduation."

"When did you come up with this plan?"

"A while ago, after you came back. I realize this is sudden but it's the best idea I've had so far. You have to admit, this arrangement would be perfect for us."

Jan Di sighed in frustration, "Jun Pyo, as beautiful as living that dream would be, you know I can't just quit everything here and run off with you. That's not how life works and running away isn't the right approach to solve things. At least not for regular people like me, who has to get three or four part-time jobs sometimes just to make ends meet."

"I understand that, but that's why I'm asking you to give me this one opportunity to do this for the both of us. I mean, you don't have to answer now. I get that this is unexpected and it seems like a lot to ask, but please, would you think about it, for our sake?"

"And what about everyone else, Jun Pyo? What about their sakes?"

"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made, and I'm sure they'll understand. Don't we both deserve to be happy in this world too? You know I wouldn't be asking you this if I didn't feel that it's the only way for us to have a real future together."

The idea sounded insane to her, but when she thought about it, it really wasn't all that surprising coming from him. She knew him well enough by now to know that such grand plans weren't impossible for him to easily make happen.

The question that she had to ask herself was whether or not she was willing to bend and sacrifice her own beliefs and principals for the sake of their so-called future happiness. And what type of future would that be for them if they really went through with it?

Seeing that she had nothing to say about his earlier statement, Jun Pyo continued on, "Anyway, I want you to take some time to reflect on all of this. That being said, I believe you'll eventually come to the same conclusion as I did and see that this is the right decision for our future. I mean, who wouldn't want to get a fresh new start at life with the person you love?"

It was an alluring fantasy, and for a second, she felt her resolve waver as she fantasized about living the American dream miles away from Seoul, together with him.

"I…I really hope that you'll at least give it some serious consideration, Jan Di."

Her brows furrowed as she bit her lower lip, she stared at him for a long time before answering, "Okay, I'll think about it."

He broke into a wide smile instantly and before she could say anything else, he stood from his seat and dialed a number on his mobile, "Yi Jung, we're done here. You can send her back now, thanks."

After he hung up, he turned back to her, "Jan Di, thank you for doing this. You don't know how happy you've made me!"

He sat back down and squeezed her hands in elation. She returned a faint smile but pulled her hands back, folding them worriedly on her lap.

"How much time do I have to decide?"

"You've got just over a week to think about it, and then I, or rather I should say we, have to leave Seoul, because I'll be starting my new position there immediately."

"What? You can't be serious!" Her eyes widened, "This isn't as if we're deciding if we want to spend a weekend holiday on Jeju Island. This is an important decision that could change the rest of my life!"

Instead of notions of happiness, she thought about all the people she would be leaving behind. From her family, to Ji Hoo and Grandfather, would it be fair to them if she just left on such short notice again for the sake of her own happiness with Jun Pyo? And would she really be happy if she ran away with him and gave up on her own plans of becoming a doctor at the clinic?

"But a week is more than enough time, don't you think? I mean, even three days feels too long. It's really not that difficult a decision to make. And you don't have to worry about a thing because I've got it all covered. I already got a list of schools in the area we'll be staying; it's all been prepared for you to look over once you're ready. That's how much I believe in you."

His presumptuousness was driving her blood pressure up the wall and she tried not to explode in anger, "Yah! Gu Jun Pyo, how could you do that to me? What makes you even think I would say yes to all of this? Are you really that delusional?"

"No, I'm just being logical about it. Like seriously, which part of this plan isn't perfect?"

She shut her eyes in frustration, willing herself not to swing her fist across his face.

"Oh, and before you say anything else, there's one other important thing I need to talk to you about before Yi Jung gets here," he added quickly, "it's about Ji Hoo."

The sudden mention of Ji Hoo distracted her for a moment, "Huh? What about him?"

"I think that punk's been avoiding me lately. He hasn't been answering my calls or texts and he hasn't been around any of our usual hang outs. I mean, yes, it's true that things between us haven't been all that great these days, but he's never been like this before. In fact, I'm actually starting to worry for him and I've _never_ had to be concerned for him before."

"You're right, that doesn't sound like Ji Hoo at all."

"And I was hoping to speak with him, but…"

"I got it. Let me talk to him later, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this."

Just then, his mobile chimed and he checked the message on his screen, "Yi Jung says he's almost here."

She nodded and made a move towards the door, "Okay, I'll wait for him outside then."

"Wait a second, Jan Di."

She turned around and before she could grasp what was happening, Jun Pyo held her shoulders tightly and pulled her in for a kiss. He caught her off guard, and she stood staring dumbly at him even after the kiss was broken.

Smiling almost bashfully, he let her go. With one hand rubbing the back of his head, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself; I just really wanted to do that ever since you walked in here. I'll speak with you again in a week, okay? Yi Jung will call you once we're ready and I really hope that you'll give me this chance."

She stared at him with a deer-in-the-headlights expression, failing to process all her thoughts right then. As though on autopilot mode, she wordlessly spun back around and headed outside just as Yi Jung's car drove up.

On the ride home, her mind was filled with constant replays of bits and pieces of what transpired earlier in the studio, and the thing that stood out the most was the parting kiss that he'd given her. While it did seem like a pleasant surprise of sorts at first, she was troubled by the fact that the unexpected kiss didn't make her heart skip a beat like it used to.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Thanks to all your patience, reviews and comments, I appreciate the feedback and it's really helped to motivate me to write faster. :P_

 _Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, because this is the longest one I've written to date! As always, I look forward to your thoughts on the story and thank you for reading._


	5. Chapter 5: The Crossroad

**Chapter 5: The Crossroad**

 _How can I go forward when I don't know which way I'm facing?_  
John Lennon

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

"I'm home!" Jan Di announced, as she came through the door.

Ji Hoo, who had fallen asleep whilst reading one of his textbooks on the couch, awoke with a start, nearly falling off the couch.

"Omo!" Her eyes widened in shock as she rushed forward, "I'm sorry for waking you, Ji Hoo Sunbae, I didn't realize it was so late already. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Jan Di, I had to catch up on my reading from last week's lecture anyway. I guess the topic simply wasn't interesting enough to keep me awake." Just then he broke into a yawn as he sat back up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Speaking of which, I wonder where my textbook went."

As he blearily looked around the floor for his fallen book, Jan Di couldn't help but giggle at his unintentionally adorable moment. The drowsy expression and tousled bed hair was the total opposite of his usual perfectly groomed and cool style.

Looking up from his book hunt, he narrowed his eyes at her, "Care to share what's so funny?"

She shook her head as she continued watching him. After looking under a few of the throw pillows and the surrounding area, he sighed as he settled comfortably back onto his side of the couch.

"Aren't you going to look for it?"

He shook his head, "I'm too sleepy to go through this much trouble now. I'm sure it'll turn up somewhere tomorrow."

To his surprise, she suddenly fell to her knees and crawled towards him.

Startled, Ji Hoo swung his legs up to the side of the couch as she approached even closer. Frozen, he watched her edge towards him until their noses were almost touching, and then she dipped her head towards the floor. He looked downwards just in time to see her grabbing something from underneath the couch.

And as fast as she fell, she abruptly shot back up on her feet. "Ta da!" she beamed, triumphantly waving his heavy textbook over her head with both hands.

While he was impressed with her detective skills, Ji Hoo was afraid that the book might slip from her tiny hands and fall on her head any second. Cautiously, he took the book away from her before it could happen.

"Since when did you turn into Sherlock Holmes?"

She grinned at the compliment, "I could see something peeking out from beneath the couch when I was coming in just now."

"Well done, Jan Di. With observation skills like that, I'm even more convinced now that you'll make a fine doctor someday."

"I seriously doubt that, Sunbae. You were just too sleepy to notice that it was under your nose all this time."

"Hmm, I don't think I could've found it even if I was wide awake," he replied as he stifled another yawn in mid-sentence. "Either way, thank you for finding it."

"Sunbae, you've been studying too hard." She frowned, settling herself beside him, "You should take better care of yourself."

"Nah, it's okay. I'll be fine once I get past my sleepy phase."

The mention of his sleepy phase put a smile back on her face, "Well, okay, but I hope you're not too sleepy right now to accept this."

Unzipping her backpack, she extracted a small package from it, "I got you a little something. It's not much, but I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me these past few months."

Ji Hoo looked at the gift in her outstretched hand, unsure if he should accept it. The package was plainly giftwrapped with gold wrapping paper and secured with a small black bow tied across the top.

Knowing that it was likely purchased for with her hard-earned money gained from hours of working at her various temp jobs; he couldn't help but feel bad about accepting it. "You really didn't have to do that, Jan Di. You should be saving up for yourself."

"Stop being silly, will you?" She laughed, almost nervously, "It really didn't cost a lot, and if you don't accept it, it's going to make me very, very sad." She gave him her best miserable face, complete with pleading puppy dog eyes.

As her eyes bore into his, Ji Hoo felt his resolve weaken. Beneath his calm exterior, he had to admit that there was a part of him that was secretly overjoyed at her thoughtful gesture, even if it was just a small token.

"Alright, thank you, Jan Di. I'll open it later if that's okay."

"Sure, I just hope you like it," she said as she handed it to him, "I've never had much experience buying gifts for other people before so I apologize in advance if it's something you don't like."

Without the slightest hesitation, he replied, "Now you're being the silly one. Trust me, I already love it."

At his confident response, Jan Di gave a smile that was a combination of relief and delight.

"So aside from getting me this fantastic gift, what else did you do this afternoon?"

"Ah, well…things started off great at first, Ga Eul and I had lots of fun shopping and going back to one of our favorite places for coffee and ice cream. But then Yi Jung came to the café and they told me that I had to follow him to meet someone, and they wouldn't tell me who it was at first, but…" Jan Di paused just then, chewing on her lower lip nervously.

"Huh? Why wouldn't they tell you who it was?"

"Because, as I eventually found out when we got to Yi Jung Sunbae's studio, it was Jun Pyo who wanted to meet with me."

It certainly wasn't a name that Ji Hoo was expecting to hear of, but he kept his best poker face on.

"And then what happened?"

"He wanted me to consider getting back together but honestly, I'm not sure if that's what I want anymore. I mean, I'm really happy with my life now, especially being back here with you and Grandfather. I also know that if we do end up getting back together, it's very likely that all of our lives will be thrown back into a constant state of chaos all over again…"

Although her statements were hopeful, Ji Hoo knew there was more to it, "But?"

She took a deep shaky breath as she confessed, "But I know that there's also a small part of me that feels this ache whenever I happen to think about him. I don't know how to describe it, and I don't even know what it really means, but I'm afraid that it's a sign that I'll never be able to truly get over him."

"Does this mean that you want to get back together with him?" Even as he asked the question, Ji Hoo could feel his heart sinking with dread.

She shook her head, "I haven't made up my mind about anything yet and I told him that I needed some time to think about all this."

Ji Hoo couldn't find the right words to say, not without asking her not to go back to Jun Pyo, so he simply nodded.

"And there's something else that I need to talk to you about," she said.

Ji Hoo could see that she was looking even more anxious than before, but he figured that whatever it was, it couldn't have been worse than what she'd just told him about Jun Pyo wanting her back. So he tried to lighten the mood and reassure her as best as he could, "You know you can always speak freely with me, even if it's something that you don't like about me."

He peered closer, as though he were trying to read her expression, "Unless that's precisely what you were about to tell me. In which case, maybe we should talk about it tomorrow."

That seemed to break the tension and she laughed softly, "Sunbae, you know I like you perfectly fine just the way you are."

"Good to know that there's no complaints. So if it's not about your dissatisfaction of me, then what's this about?"

"Umm, you see, Jun Pyo seems to be getting the impression that you're deliberately avoiding him lately. He says you're not answering his calls or texts and you haven't been seen around any of the usual F4 hang outs."

"And Jun Pyo is displeased about my recent absence?"

"You might find this hard to believe, but he's actually starting to get worried about you."

A wry smile crossed his face, "That's certainly very unlike him. Normally he wouldn't even notice that I'm missing from the gang until Woo Bin or Yi Jung start to ask about my whereabouts."

"Funny you should say that, I told Jun Pyo that I thought that it was definitely unlike you to avoid him on purpose."

Ji Hoo searched her eyes as he asked, "Would you be disappointed in me if that were true?"

Immediately she shook her head and exclaimed, "No! That's not what I meant at all. If your avoidance turns out to be true, then I'm positive that there's likely a valid reason behind why you're doing it. Besides, whatever the cause may be, I wouldn't blame you for it. In fact, if anything, I think I'd feel sorry about it because I'm also a hundred percent positive that it's my fault that this is happening in the first place."

As soon as she said that, a tear started to roll down her cheek. And just as soon as it happened, Ji Hoo's natural reflexes were triggered, and he deftly wiped the tear away with his thumb. He pulled her towards him, instinctively wrapping his arms around her protectively, and with one hand cradling the top of her head, he whispered into her ear, "Hey, please don't cry Jan Di, you know you're being silly again, right?"

Despite his request, she started to break into tiny sobs, "But your friendship with Jun Pyo is over now because of me, isn't it? All the messes you've been going through recently are all because of me."

"Believe me when I tell you that everything's going to be fine between Jun Pyo and I. Just so you know, I haven't been avoiding him because of you. At least, not in the way that I think you're thinking."

She pulled away slightly, looking up at him with a puzzled expression as she asked between her sniffles, "What do you mean?"

"I can explain it, but only if you promise me that you'll stop crying, okay?"

Jan Di wiped the remaining tears from her face as best as she could with the back of her hands and nodded.

"Do you remember on that first night when you came back, what I said about my refusing to let Jun Pyo's mother ruin your future?"

"Yes," she replied softly. He could tell that she was afraid of what he was about to say, but he had already promised to tell her the truth and if she was about to get mad at him for that, then it would be a small price to pay in exchange for helping her gain another step towards making her dreams a reality.

A part of him just hoped that it wouldn't ruin their chances of someday being together, no matter how slim that possibility might be.

"I had to make a deal with his mother in order to keep you in Shinhwa High after you returned."

"Let me guess, the price of that agreement was your friendship with Jun Pyo?"

"I had to cease all contact with him, yes. But Jan Di, before you get mad, let me ask you, did you not make the same deal with her in order to save Grandfather's foundation? While I've always considered Jun Pyo as a brother, I just couldn't let her hurt you like that. Even if I were given a second chance to do it all over again, I still would've agreed to those terms. I wouldn't have it any other way if it meant that you could get the education you deserved."

He could tell that she was holding back her tears, so he quickly added, "Remember you promised me that you wouldn't cry if I told you."

She bit her lower lip hard and blinked her tears away. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, she finally said, "I can't believe that she would actually stoop this low. Exploiting this whole situation to further isolate Jun Pyo from the few true friends he has. I mean, going after me was one thing, but even you? She must be the most despicable and selfish person I've ever met in my life."

"So you're not mad at me?"

The question brought a bitter smile to her lips, "No, I couldn't, it wouldn't be fair because you're absolutely right. If our roles were reversed, I would've done the same for you in a heartbeat. I just can't believe that she would do that to her son's best friend since his childhood."

Ji Hoo let out a relieved breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding.

"But Ji Hoo Sunbae, can I just say one other thing about this whole matter?"

"Yes, Jan Di?"

"I know it's not going to be a cakewalk, but I think that you should try to explain this to Jun Pyo. At least in a way that he would understand that it wasn't because of him."

Hearing her concerns for Jun Pyo, he wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry about it. Even when he was doing something for her sake, she was still thinking about what was best for Jun Pyo, trying to protect him instead of herself, "Explain what exactly?"

"Why you've not been responding or contacting him. I mean, I know I'm not somebody who should be giving you any advice on this whole matter anyway. And I'm not just saying this because of Jun Pyo's feelings. I don't want the two of you to lose your friendship or have any bad blood between each other because of her. It just wouldn't be fair to both of you."

When she put it that way, Ji Hoo couldn't help but feel slightly better, knowing that she wasn't asking him to jeopardize everything merely for Jun Pyo's sake. Still, there were greater risks involved and he had to make her see them.

"You may be right, but at this present point, I'm not sure if it would serve any helpful purpose in telling him that his mother caused the temporary death of our friendship. Think about the potential consequences, Jan Di. If he ends up getting upset and confronting her about it, as we both know he likely will, then it's game over for the both of us."

"And I would have to leave Shinhwa High," she said sadly, "And worse, if she tried to hurt Grandfather…"

"And even if I wanted to meet him," Ji Hoo pointed out, "the bigger challenge is how we could initiate any contact without his mother finding out. If her spies catch even a slightest hint of it, then again, it's game over for us and we're back at square zero."

"Well, you could talk to Yi Jung and Woo Bin about that. They did a stellar job of arranging that secret meeting today. It sure took me by surprise."

Ji Hoo grinned at the thought of the two of them acting like super spies in an action movie, "We tend to accomplish things a lot faster and better when working together, don't we?"

"And that's why it's so important that the F4 doesn't become the F3."

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, the statement elicited a laugh from Ji Hoo, "The F3 doesn't sound so bad."

Her eyes widened in horror at the thought, "Please don't joke about such things, Sunbae!"

"Who says I'm kidding?" He half joked.

"Look, jokes aside, if you do manage to talk to Jun Pyo about this, I think the best way to explain it to him without exposing all of us to danger, is maybe to tell him a version of the truth."

"Like a white lie?"

She nodded, "Wouldn't that be the smarter option instead of the whole truth for now? I mean, you're not doing it for any self-serving motives. You're doing it to protect all of us, including him. In which case, I think that would be justified. It has to be just reasonable enough to let him know that your lack of communication isn't out of spite, and just believable enough for him not to suspect that his mother's involved in this."

Ji Hoo stared at her in mild amazement.

"What?" she asked.

"It's funny how you can be so smart at times, and yet so entirely silly in others."

She raised a doubtful eyebrow, "I think I'm going to take that as a compliment."

Ji Hoo chuckled, "Relax, it was! No promises that I can make it happen, Jan Di, but I will give this a serious thought. I hope you understand that the only reason that I can't say yes right away is because I have to consider all the risks that I could expose us to, especially if I start to involve everyone else into this."

She nodded in sympathetic understanding, "I get what you mean, and even if you decide ultimately that the best option is to not explain things to Jun Pyo, I want you to know that I'll be on your side to help you through this if you need me. This isn't a weight that can be easily carried and I won't let you suffer alone."

Her words took him by surprise, and compared to the Jan Di he first knew, he felt as though he was having a conversation with a much older and wiser Jan Di now, "You know, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting you to be so calm about this. This is like a whole new you."

"Hmm, well I suppose you could say that I'm the same old brand new me, Sunbae." She laughed cheerfully this time, and he couldn't help but break into a smile. They caught each other's gaze and after a brief instant of silence, she suddenly leapt towards him, arms thrown around his neck in a warm hug.

It took him a few seconds before what was happening finally clicked in his mind, and he found himself returning her embrace. Burying his face in the curve of her shoulder, he could not dare to believe that this wasn't a figment of his imagination. "Why do you always come to my rescue even when I don't know I need it?" she whispered. Even if her voice was barely audible, the impact of her words hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I know you said it isn't my fault, but I'm still sorry for all the hurt I've caused you."

"Don't apologize, Jan Di," he replied in a voice that was thick with emotion, "all you tried to do was follow your heart, and for that, you have nothing to be sorry for."

They pulled away, each searching the other's gaze and for an incredible instant, he had the strongest urge to kiss her until he remembered that her heart was likely still with Jun Pyo even if she wasn't sure of it yet, and the sudden thought of her leaving him soon was simply too much for him to bear.

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

It was a rare occasion of bravery for her, hugging him without hesitation or doubt. As she felt the comfort of his embrace, she thought back to everything he had ever done for her, and in all that time, never once asking her for anything in return. She knew then that she could finally admit to herself something she had been feeling for a while now. She wasn't quite sure when it started, but it was a slowly intensifying emotion that accelerated its development over the last few weeks since he'd found her on the island.

Whether it was out of her own fear, or her loyalty to Jun Pyo, she had been trying to pass off her feelings for Ji Hoo as nothing more but a deepening friendship between them, but after learning what he'd done for her this time, somewhere along the way tonight, at last something clicked in her and it was as if someone had lifted the veil to reveal her true feelings to herself. All at once, she knew for sure now that this overwhelming love she felt was for him, and it was like nothing she'd ever felt before, not even when she was with Jun Pyo at the best of their times together.

When they pulled away, Jan Di could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she found herself falling into his gaze. And for an insane instant, she wanted badly for him to kiss her right there and then. She wanted to tell him that it was very likely that she had the same feelings he had for her, but just as she was ready to confess it all, he suddenly broke away from her, putting a fair distance between them.

She stared at him, dumbfounded, clueless as to what had changed between them in that split second.

"Jan Di, thank you for taking this whole thing so well. Like I said earlier, I'll give what you said about talking to Jun Pyo a serious thought."

"Oh…well, don't mention it," she mumbled, unsure of what to say now that the spell was broken, along with her chances of telling him how she really felt.

He gave her a smile then, and she wasn't sure why, but there was something about it that made her suspect that she had just somehow managed to deeply hurt him. She wanted to ask him what was going on but for some fearful and illogical reason at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to discover that answer.

"Anyway, it's late and we really need to get some sleep now, but if you'd like, we can talk about this more tomorrow, okay?"

"O…Okay, sure."

"Goodnight, Jan Di. Sleep well."

And with that, he went back to his room, leaving her alone in the living room, feeling mostly lost and confused over what had just transpired.


	6. Chapter 6: The Defeat

**Chapter 6: The Defeat**

 _But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated._  
Ernest Hemingway

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

Somewhere in the heart of Gangnam, in a darkened room on the third floor of an exclusive club patronized by the city's most rich and famous, Ji Hoo took another swig from the half empty glass of iced water and glanced at his watch. They had been waiting for over an hour and this rendezvous was beginning to feel like a mistake.

The uneasy silence between them was in sharp contrast to what was going on two floors below as the music got louder and the club was quickly filling up with party goers who were eager to lose themselves to the wicked pleasures of the night.

Sitting across from him, Woo Bin's phone suddenly vibrated. After reading the message, he looked up from his phone and said to Ji Hoo, "Yi Jung said they finally lost the tail on them, so I suppose they should be arriving soon."

In any other circumstance, this would have been the perfect opportunity for Ji Hoo to find a comfortable spot on the couch and promptly take a nap. But he was a bundle of nerves now and sleep was the last thing on his mind. He was thankful that at least Woo Bin was here with him.

"You know, I was starting to suspect that Jun Pyo might be doing this on purpose, just to punish me for neglecting him."

"That would be very funny," Woo Bin replied with a wry smile, "but I don't think this was intended. His mother stepped up security since our last Mission Impossible operation. And given the short amount of time Yi Jung and I had to make this happen, it's frankly a miracle that we managed to pull this off without much of a hitch."

"I know, and I'm sorry, Woo Bin. I didn't mean to make things so difficult for the both of you."

Woo Bin waved off the apology, "Nothing to be sorry about, Yi Jung and I know this must be a stressful situation for you. And while neither of us is sure why there's all this secrecy around meeting Jun Pyo, I have a feeling that it's got something to do with his mother."

Ji Hoo nodded, "Yeah, I wish I could tell you more but I didn't want to put you guys at risk by exposing you to..."

Woo Bin stopped him from divulging the information, "That's okay, you don't have to explain. We both suspect that it's also got something to do with Jan Di being peacefully back in school since her return to Seoul. I have to admit that it feels oddly weird living life so drama-free these past few weeks."

Ji Hoo widened his eyes in mild surprise as his friend laughed, "What? You think we don't take notice of what's going on around here? I know this may come as breaking news to you, but you're not the only genius around here, okay? Yi Jung and I are, in fact, a lot smarter than we look and sometimes we do, as a matter of fact, manage to figure things out on our own."

Ji Hoo gave a lopsided grin, "You guys are the best."

Woo Bin readily agreed, "Of course we are. That's why we're the F4."

Just then the door to their private room swung open and in walked the other half of their group.

"Sorry we're late," Yi Jung apologized before taking a seat next to Woo Bin, "it took a lot longer than usual to lose the tail on us. Seems like his mom ordered extra guards to keep watch on him while she's away this time."

All eyes turned to Jun Pyo who was still standing by the door.

"What?" He shrugged nonchalantly, "Is it _my_ fault that my mom's gone all DEFCON 1 on me?"

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

Though she had been staring at the same page of her textbook for over half an hour, Jan Di could not absorb or memorize any of the formulas listed on it, no matter how hard she tried. Despite the urgency of her upcoming test, her mind would naturally wander towards thoughts of Ji Hoo instead, and she found herself often doing this nowadays, especially after the night she told him about Jun Pyo's plea of getting back together.

It was as though an invisible wall was suddenly built between them, and when she tried to make conversation, he would keep the dialogues short and mostly ignored her attempts at humour or small talk. When she tried to voice her concern over his sudden aloofness, he would only apologize and say that he was merely preoccupied and stressed over the upcoming meet up with Jun Pyo.

She sighed worriedly as she copied one of the formulas from her textbook onto her notes. She wondered if she'd done the right thing, telling him about Jun Pyo, and was relieved that she hadn't told him about the proposition to move to America. While she hated keeping things from him, what terrified her even more was the idea that she could hurt him with her careless words and thoughtless actions. The issue consumed so much of her focus that she had almost forgotten about the big decision she had to make soon.

And as her thoughts of Ji Hoo led to Jun Pyo and his supposed runaway American dream, she groaned aloud and let her head fall facedown onto her open textbook. Just when things were starting to get better for her, everything had to get thrown into a state of pandemonium once again, much in thanks to Jun Pyo.

Knowing she wasn't going to get any studying done now, she sighed in defeat and slammed her textbook shut. Wishing miserably that she could just talk to Ji Hoo about everything, she shuffled off to bed in hopes of at least getting a few hours of sleep.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

After their brief reunion, Yi Jung and Woo Bin headed to the club on the first floor, giving the other two some privacy to iron out their issues. As Ji Hoo expected, once they were alone, Jun Pyo wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

"So why haven't you been answering any of my texts or calls lately?"

It was the question Ji Hoo had been waiting for, but yet somehow, he couldn't bring himself to give the answer he had been mentally preparing to offer.

He had intended to give a carefully planned and crafted explanation about how he was too busy and overwhelmed juggling between multiple important things in his life, which included helping Jan Di, managing his own studies and taking lessons from Grandfather on how to run the clinic. The statement was absolutely true, but at that moment, something stopped him from delivering his rehearsed speech and instead he simply said, "Because I was mad at you."

"What?" Jun Pyo laughed, "You're joking, right? You can't be that upset at me."

"Do you remember what you said that day after I told you I'd found her?"

He watched as Jun Pyo's smile faded into a frown, "Not really, no."

"You said you weren't interested in coming along and that I could go ahead without you."

"Okay, it's great that you've got such an impressive memory, but so what?"

"So why did you have to lie, Jun Pyo? Or are you simply so fickle about your feelings for her that you can't make up your mind and stick to your convictions?"

"Woah, okay, I think you just crossed a line somewhere, Ji Hoo. Where is this suddenly coming from? Is this really why you've been avoiding me?"

"After I got her back from that godforsaken island, all I wanted to do was help her heal. It pained me to see her struggle through her grief every day, and I was angry as well to know that there was little that I could do to help her get past it."

"And you're blaming me for all that?"

Ji Hoo made no reply but the look on his face told Jun Pyo the answer.

Jun Pyo smirked and nodded, "You're actually right about that, of course. It is my fault. Hell, she'd probably still be stuck there selling fish for a living if it weren't for you."

"I wish I could say that it didn't affect me, but the fact is that it did. And at the time, I didn't think I was ready to face you, not without getting mad at you. So I decided then that it was probably best for everyone if I stayed away a while."

Jun Pyo stared at him wordlessly for a while, and for a second, Ji Hoo thought that his best friend was going to take a swing at him. He braced himself for the repercussions of his statement, but instead Jun Pyo said, "I wish I'd said this to you sooner, that I'm really sorry for everything, Ji Hoo."

"Sorry?"

"I know I've been a lousy best friend and an even crummier boyfriend to her, and the worst part of it, is that I am aware that you've done a lot for her, probably more than I have in some ways. So I'm sorry if my actions have caused the both of you hurt, but I promise you, this time it's going to be different."

"What do you mean?" Ji Hoo asked, although he was almost afraid to hear the answer to that.

"This time I'm going to make sure that we start on a blank slate, and she gets a brand new start at life. And after we've settled down in the U.S., I want you to come over and visit us often. I know she would love that."

The shock must have shown on his face, because it led Jun Pyo to ask, "Is…this the first time you're hearing this? Did she not tell you about our plans of moving?"

Ji Hoo tried his best to recover and quickly replied, "Oh, yeah, she did tell me something about how you wanted to get back together."

 _She just conveniently forgot to mention that it's over ten thousand kilometers away from the country,_ he thought despondently.

"To be honest, I know that she may not always be happiest with me, especially when I see her with you at times. But I can't seem to stop loving her and be extra selfish when it comes to her."

As Ji Hoo wondered how Jan Di could have kept this bombshell from him, Jun Pyo made a soft chuckle before adding, "I can't even begin to describe how much I'm looking forward to starting our new lives together over in the U.S., and I'll bet she's already looking through the list of transfer schools I sent over."

Even though those words felt like someone was plunging a knife in his chest, Ji Hoo smiled along and agreed with a nod.

"Ji Hoo, part of the reason why I needed to talk to you, was that I was hoping to clear the air before I leave. I hope there are no hard feelings between us and I want you to know that I will always be grateful for all that you've done for us, especially her. Like I said, you're more than welcome to visit us anytime if you ever plan on coming over."

With the smile still plastered on his face, Ji Hoo replied, "Well, since I'll be busy with medical school and taking over Grandfather's clinic over the next few years, I don't think I'll be able to visit. But I will say that I am happy for the both of you and wish you guys all the best in this world. Assuming of course, if that's what Jan Di really wants as well."

For a moment, Jun Pyo seemed to take offense to that last part of his statement, but then he broke into a wide smile and laughed, "While that was a terrible attempt at being funny, I still want to thank you for being okay with Jan Di and I being together. You'll never know how much that means to me."

Jun Pyo went on about how much he was looking forward to his new job and what his plans for the future were, but the words became nothing more than background noise to Ji Hoo as he struggled to understand what all this meant and why Jan Di never mentioned about potentially leaving the country.

The worst part of all this was that he wasn't sure what hurt more. The sense of betrayal in finding out about the move through Jun Pyo instead of her, or the looming threat that very soon, he would quite possibly never be able to see her again if she did decide to leave with Jun Pyo.

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

After tossing and turning in bed for several hours, Jan Di concluded that sleep was momentarily beyond her and that her time would be better spent eating a bowlful of ice cream instead.

As she sat alone at the dining table carving a spoonful of chocolate ice cream from the tub, she imagined that the experience would've been a lot more enjoyable if Ji Hoo was with her.

Just then, she heard the front door open.

"It's a miracle!" she gasped, and rushed out to meet him with her spoon still clutched in one hand. She greeted him as loudly as she could without waking the rest of the house, "Ji Hoo Sunbae! You're finally home!"

"Oh, Jan Di," Ji Hoo smiled in mild surprise, "What are you still doing up at this hour?"

She waved her spoon and replied, "I was feeling a bit nervous about your meeting with Jun Pyo and I couldn't sleep, so…"

"So you decided to finish the entire tub of your favorite chocolate ice cream all by yourself?"

She gave an indignant look, "Not yet, I only just started!"

For the first time in days, she could finally hear him laugh out loud, even ruffling her hair affectionately. Jan Di thought that she would faint right then from sheer bliss.

While she had no clue as to what made him return back to his old self, she wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away. She decided to try her luck and timidly asked, "Umm, Sunbae, since you are awake, would you be interested in sharing some late night ice cream with me?"

"Well, that depends," he replied, as he entered the living room.

She held her breath and asked, "On?"

"On whether we still have that tub of mango ice cream in the freezer. I think we bought two of that and three of the chocolate ones, but…"

A huge grin spread on her face, "Yes, we still have a full tub of that, and just a second, I'll get it for you!"

Without giving him a chance to reply, she ran to the kitchen, quickly returning with two tubs of ice cream and an additional spoon.

Instead of the dining room, they stayed in the living room, settling on their usual spots on the couch. He took the mango ice cream and spoon from her and promptly helped himself to a generous dollop of it.

"Delicious," he said, as he sighed in content.

Jan Di reached over and also scooped a big spoonful of mango ice cream. As she savored the tangy and fruity flavor, she noticed that he was looking at her intently.

Tilting her head to the side, she asked him, "What is it?"

"You said you were anxious about my meeting with Jun Pyo earlier."

At the mention of Jun Pyo, Jan Di's enthusiasm waned slightly, but she said, "Yes, I wanted to know how things went with him. Did everything work out okay?"

He took a moment to reflect, before answering, "Things worked to an extent, but not everything went according to plan."

"Oh? What happened?"

"I told him that the main reason for my lack of response was mainly because I was mad at him for not treating you right."

"What?" Jan Di stopped in mid motion, almost dropping the spoon she was holding, "But why would you say that?"

"I know it's entirely not what I had planned to say. But to be honest, Jan Di, even without the deal, I think I would've ignored him for a while either way because I _was_ really mad at him for putting you through all that. And I couldn't believe that he had the cheek to be so arrogant about…"

Ji Hoo paused for a while, and she could tell from the conflicted look that he was struggling to say what was on his mind.

"What was he arrogant about?"

She watched Ji Hoo closed both eyes and took a deep breath before replying, "About his plans for a bright and promising future with you."

"Oh," she replied softly. The happy mood they'd been in was now officially ruined and she wanted to kick herself for inadvertently steering the conversation downhill. "Sunbae, I don't know the details of what was said and its okay if you don't want to share the specifics with me, but please, I don't want you to take his word too seriously. You know he's just being his usual overconfident self. In fact, I'm guessing that half of what he said was nonsense anyway."

"I suppose you're right," he said, "although he did seem very sure of himself."

She tried to assure him, "But that's just his silly assumption, Sunbae, please don't worry about it. Like I said, I haven't decided on anything yet. Please! You have to believe me!"

"Alright, yes, take it easy, Jan Di," he replied with a small smile, "I do believe you."

But despite the agreement, Jan Di could tell that he was still doubtful about it and her heart sank with regret and helplessness.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

After their happy turned gloomy ice cream supper, they both returned to their own rooms and just as Ji Hoo was about to go to bed, he spotted the unopened gold wrapped box with the small black bow sitting untouched since he'd last placed it there, neatly atop his study desk.

While he had been too disheartened to open the present Jan Di had given him before, there was now a growing sense of urgency to find out what the gift was, before it was too late. This time, the trepidation was worse because he was fully aware of her upcoming disappearance and the likelihood of it being a permanent one. The thought of never seeing her again was almost too much to bear and it was taking all of him not to hold her tight and beg her to stay.

He went over and sat at his desk now, staring at it while thinking how this could possibly be his last few days together with Jan Di before she left. He reached out towards the box, cautiously removing the wrapping to reveal what was enclosed.

Underneath the wrapper was a black box and he opened it to reveal a beautiful white notebook inside that read, "A Musician's Notebook" printed in cursive writing and embossed in gold ink across the cover.

With growing interest, he opened the notebook, flipping through several of the printed pages.

He could easily tell that it was a musical journal meant to encourage and inspire his love of music. While the pages on the left side were lined and intended for jotting down ideas and lyrics, the right side showed pages of blank musical manuscripts meant for composing music. Another interesting thing was that the notebook itself was filled with random pages of quotes made by famous composers and musicians talking about music, creativity, and passion.

He closed the notebook and clutched it tight to his chest.

He felt an overwhelming swell of emotions as he thought about all the times they shared together since they'd met, both good and bad instances. And he decided then, that from that moment on, regardless of her decision, he would try to spend as much time as he could afford to give her, creating as many special and happy memories as he could with her, since it was likely going to be their last few weeks together.

If she was truly going to leave him soon for a new life with Jun Pyo, then it was his only hope that she would always remember him and their time together, no matter how short it was.


	7. Chapter 7: The Gift

**Chapter 7: The Gift**

 _The best thing to hold onto in life is each other_ _._  
Audrey Hepburn

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

Jan Di stood at the dining table, mouth agape in wonder. It was as though her fairy godmother stopped by and granted her a special banquet wish.

It was a small spread just enough for two, but they all consisted of her favorite breakfast foods, which included a bowl of strawberries, toast with egg and luncheon meat, mini bagels, and even a pitcher of grapefruit juice.

The aroma of freshly roasted coffee suddenly wafted through the air and seeing no coffee in sight, she looked around the room, searching for the source of this heavenly bouquet, just as Ji Hoo appeared at the entrance of the dining room, holding a pot of coffee in one hand and two mugs in the other.

"Oh, Sunbae, good morning."

"Good morning, Jan Di," he replied, promptly setting the mugs on the table and pouring the coffee into them.

"Sunbae," she asked, "not that I don't love this, but what's going on?"

Ji Hoo took a seat at the table and grabbed a bagel, "I'll answer that in a while, but first I need you to sit down and eat. Make sure you eat to your heart's content."

Jan Di eyed him a tad warily but did as she was told, helping herself to the toast.

"Where's Grandfather by the way? Is he at the clinic?"

Ji Hoo nodded.

"But isn't it supposed to be closed on the weekends?"

"Yeah it is, but he got an emergency call from one of his patients this morning, so he thought he might as well keep the clinic open for half the day."

"Oh, that's a pity. He would've loved this spread!"

Ji Hoo chuckled, "Don't worry, I packed him an extra special lunch box today and even got him a hot thermos filled with coffee."

Jan Di beamed at him with pride, "Aigoo, what a good grandson you are, Sunbae. It's barely nine in the morning but you've already worked so hard!"

"Hmm, well, there's a special reason for that, and no, it's not because of Grandfather."

She raised a curious eyebrow at him, "So what's all this actually about?"

He gave a mischievous grin, "Are you forgetting what's happening next week?"

"Umm, my test, I guess?"

Ji Hoo shook his head, "It's something a lot more important than that."

"Are you sure? Strangely, I can't seem to think of anything more terrifyingly important than that right now."

Ji Hoo shook his head again, but this time she could see that it was in disappointment.

"Wait here," he said.

She watched him exit the dining room, returning a short while later, obviously hiding something behind him. He approached her in a way that was almost bashful and asked, "Still got no clue?"

She shook her head.

"Maybe this will help then," he said, before revealing what was hidden behind his back.

"Omo!" She gasped, only realizing what the occasion was when she saw the box in his hands.

He handed it to her, and she held it carefully. While she had no idea what was inside, the party hats and balloons printed on the wrapping reminded her what occasion was coming up soon.

"I know your birthday is next week, but since you have your test on the day before that, I thought we should celebrate it first."

She looked up from her gift, eyes tearing slightly.

"Sunbae, thank you," she said, too touched to say anything else.

"You're welcome and aside from your gift, there's something else you should know about."

"Hmm, what's that?"

"That today, I hereby proclaim it to be Jan Di Day!"

She laughed, "There's no such thing!"

"Yes, there is," Ji Hoo insisted confidently, "and do you know what the best thing about that is?"

"I get cake?"

"Well, only if you want some later, but that's not it. The best thing about Jan Di Day is that you get one wish to do something today, and whatever it is, I will grant it. Anything you want, Jan Di."

"Do you really mean, like, _anything_ anything?"

"I mean, of course, it has to be something that I can actually do, but as long as it's not a criminal offense, or physically impossible, I'll do it for you."

For a moment, Ja Di was too stunned for words and a tidal wave of emotions began to swell inside her.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

To his surprise, Jan Di suddenly covered her face in her hands and burst into tears, wailing out loud.

Panicking, he ran towards her, kneeling by her side, "What's wrong Jan Di, did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head, replying with her hands still covering her face, she sobbed, "No one's ever done something so nice for my birthday."

He sighed as he got his handkerchief out. He gently pried her hands away from her face and dabbed at her tears.

"Silly girl," he said, chuckling, "you scared me half to death! I thought I got your birth date wrong or something."

"I'm sorry for the overreaction, now I really feel like an idiot for that outburst."

"It's okay, it's only me, remember?" He gave her an encouraging smile, and to his relief, she smiled back in mild embarrassment.

"Good thing it's just you. If anyone else saw this, I would just die of humiliation."

"Well, I say it's a good thing that we don't have to worry about that then. Just think about your wish and let me know what you want."

"Umm, not to sound greedy, but do I really only get _one_ wish?"

Ji Hoo raised his eyebrows, "That does sound a little greedy."

She pouted adorably, "Yeah, but since it's my first time getting a birthday wish, I thought two wishes from you would be an extra nice way to make my birthday more memorable, don't you think?"

He wasn't sure if it was deliberate or not, but her attack of cuteness right then was enough to make him weak in the knees. He steeled himself with iron resolve, staring at her with a serious look as he shook his head, but then she countered him with a sweet smile, even fluttering her lashes playfully, before asking, "Please, Sunbae, just one more? Pretty, pretty please?"

Perhaps it was the way she asked. Or maybe it was the look she gave him, along with the coy batting of her lashes. Ji Hoo wasn't sure what it was exactly, but either way, he knew he was a goner.

With a sigh of defeat, he replied, "Alright, two wishes it is. But no more than that, okay?"

Her sweet smile widened into a happy grin and she jumped up to hug him, "Thank you, Sunbae!"

In contrast, Ji Hoo frowned, feeling somewhat swindled by her adorability, "I hope I don't regret this."

""You won't!" She giggled as she pulled away, "So do I get to make my first wish now?"

"Well, that was extremely quick of you!"

"Because we don't have much time since we're already late, we got to get ready now!"

"Uh…" Ji Hoo looked at her nervously, "Late for what exactly?"

Jan Di simply gave him a cryptic smile and pulled him up to his feet, pushing him out the dining room, "You'll see."

* * *

A short while later, Ji Hoo pulled to a stop outside Grandfather's clinic, allowing Jan Di to get off the bike first.

"Are you sure this is how you want to use your first wish?" He asked.

She nodded, "Yes, so I'll see you inside then? Grandfather will be so surprised to see us!"

"Yeah, I'll be right in once I'm parked. Not sure how he's going to react with the two of us suddenly turning up though."

"He'll be fine," Jan Di confidently assured him, "I've done this enough times on my own to know that he usually doesn't mean to be so grouchy and he's really just a big softie at heart. In fact, I know he's going to love the idea of both of us helping him out today, even if he doesn't want to admit it."

"So you know my Grandfather better than I do, huh?"

"Yes, I probably do," she joked.

Ji Hoo just shook his head at her.

"But you know," Her expression went thoughtful then, "I think this is the best wish I've ever made."

"Isn't this your first time making a birthday wish? How do you know if it's the best?"

"That's easy, because I'm spending it together with you and Grandfather, and all the other patients who need help."

Ji Hoo watched her turn and head towards the clinic, still not believing that this was how she wanted to use her first wish. He shook his head and chuckled in amazement as he watched her enter through the doors. He couldn't imagine any other girl who would use her birthday wish to help his Grandfather at the clinic, together with him.

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

Jan Di knew she made the right decision when she entered the clinic and saw Grandfather trying to calm a little girl who was crying and struggling as she was being held by her mother.

Immediately, she went into Doctor's Assistant mode, helping to ease the little girl's distress and distracting her just long enough for Grandfather to administer the vaccination she needed.

After the little girl and her mother left, Grandfather asked, "Jan Di, what are you doing here? You're not scheduled to help out today."

"I know, but both Ji Hoo and I wanted to help out since we've got some free time today. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is, but…wouldn't you rather go watch a movie or something? Why don't you take Ji Hoo with you? Heaven knows the boy needs to relax a little, he looks like he's going to explode from stress these days."

"Don't worry Grandfather," Jan Di winked, "I've got something in mind later to help him with that, once we're done helping you."

Grandfather grinned, "Really?"

Jan Di nodded.

"Very well then, I'll make sure we close up a little earlier if we can."

"Alright, but Grandfather, could you not let Ji Hoo know about this?"

"Oh?" Curious, Grandfather lowered his voice and asked, "Why?"

Jan Di inched closer and whispered in reply, "It's sort of a surprise for him, so let's keep this our little secret for the time being, okay?"

Grandfather couldn't help but laugh, "Okay!"

Jan Di stuck her pinky finger out to seal the deal, "Great! Pinky Promise on it?"

The old man couldn't be happier and he readily agreed to the pact, interlocking his pinky finger with hers and additionally sealing the promise by stamping their thumbs together.

Since it wasn't the regular operating hours of the clinic, there were only a few patients to attend to and they did manage to close slightly earlier than intended. Grandfather made an excuse saying that he was attending an art exhibition with his friends and hastily left the two of them to clean up the place.

"Is it me or is something going on with Grandfather?" Ji Hoo asked as he locked the doors to the clinic, "Don't you think he's been acting weird all day? It's almost like he's giddy with excitement or something."

Feigning innocence, Jan Di replied, "He's probably just eager to meet his old friends is all."

"Huh, never really heard him talk about his friends, now that you mention it."

"Or better yet, maybe he's meeting a special lady friend and doesn't want us to know?"

Ji Hoo gave a raised incredulous eyebrow, "Right, sure he is."

"Hey, if he's as delightful as his grandson, I don't see why not."

He merely shook his head before turning to walk down the street, "C'mon, let's head to my bike."

They strolled in comfortable silence for a while, and then he asked, "So no regrets on your first wish?"

Jan Di shook her head with a smile, "Are you kidding? I had so much fun today! The three of us should do this more often."

"You're just as strange as Grandfather sometimes."

"You mean uniquely special," she immediately corrected him.

Ji Hoo barked out a laugh as they reached his bike, "Alright, you win. So Miss Special Birthday Girl, have you decided what to do about your second wish?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "I think you're going to like this as much as I do."

* * *

Jan Di had the widest grin on her face as the sight of the fairytale castle she'd been looking forward to finally came into view, "Oh, it's so pretty!"

Not that she could remember, but according to her parents and some photos in their old family photo album, they celebrated her fifth birthday at a theme park, along with her younger brother. The happy occasion happened shortly before her father's business had taken a downturn, and since then, Jan Di grew up quickly learning that luxuries such as visiting theme parks for fun weren't things that a girl like her could ever afford to spend neither her time nor money on.

And while this day was an exception to that life lesson, like so many other exceptions that have happened since the day the F4 entered her life, she had a feeling that this particular exception was going to be unforgettable.

Ji Hoo, who had been giving her a few moments to take in the view, finally asked, "Are you ready?"

She nodded, barely able to contain her excitement, "C'mon, Mr. Turtle, let's go already!"

"Huh? What did you just call me? Mr. Turtle?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed in response, taking her hand in his as they started racing towards the castle.

Once they entered the theme park, Jan Di dragged Ji Hoo along for just about every ride that was available, seeking out the most thrilling ones first. While she enjoyed happily screaming her lungs out on the rides as they plunged straight downwards or squeezing his hand in exhilarating fear just before they took off, the best parts of the rides often came from watching Ji Hoo's reactions.

She couldn't help but giggle as she caught him on numerous occasions squeezing his eyes shut right before the rides made a sudden drop or loop. Despite looking a little green after several rides, Ji Hoo continued to take every ride with her and insisted that he was fine.

Time seemed to pass too quickly that day and when it came to the last ride, Jan Di knew just the one to end the night.

When they got on the last available schedule for the evening cruise around the park, they chose a quiet spot on the upper deck of the ferry to admire the view. Night had started to fall and their surroundings were starting to take on a magical atmosphere as the sky grew dark and twinkling lights of various colors surrounded them.

As they stood side by side, sailing down the lake, they cruised past many of the rides they took that day and it made Jan Di reflect on the day's events. As they passed a particularly tall and big roller coaster, she thought back to when they were ascending to the highest point of it. She had glanced over to see Ji Hoo clutching tightly onto his handle bar for dear life with his eyes already closed and the sight briefly took away her own fears and made her laugh. She couldn't fathom anyone else being as brave and terrified as he was and it made her appreciate him even more.

Almost as though she was afraid she'd forget this, she turned to him and said, "Ji Hoo Sunbae, thank you for making this a very special birthday."

Ji Hoo, who had been looking at the sights, tilted his head down towards her and smiled, "You're welcome, Jan Di. I do hope you had fun today."

She nodded, "More than I could imagine, really. This was a lifetime of fun, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day."

As she said the words, it struck her then that compared against all the previous dates that Jun Pyo had taken her on; this was by far the most _perfect_ date she'd ever experienced. And it wasn't even an actual date per say, but everything about it felt perfect to her because they spent it doing all the things that she wanted to do.

She thought about what Grandfather had told her, of how Ji Hoo was always putting the needs of others above his own, and she recalled further back to when they were on Jeju Island. The time when he told her that about the one thing he wished for, and that it was for her to be happy and not cry anymore. She knew now how sincere those words were and for some reason it made her both sorry and thankful for having him in her life.

Just then, the escalating sounds of orchestral music could be heard throughout the vicinity and they turned their attention back towards the mainland of the park, just in time to see the nightly fireworks display begin, shooting upwards into the sky before exploding into an array of red, green and yellow sparks. The deafening booms of the fireworks startled Jan Di and she instinctively moved closer to Ji Hoo, who immediately wrapped a protective arm around her.

"Now that's what I call a Big Bang!"

Ji Hoo laughed, "It's not like this is the first time you're seeing a fireworks display."

She nodded, "Yeah, but I don't think I've ever seen one this up close before, so I wasn't expecting it to be so loud."

"Do you find it too loud?"

"Yes, but I don't care and I'm not bothered by it, because isn't this so beautiful?"

When he didn't answer, Jan Di looked up towards him and noticed him looking down at her.

"I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he replied, and she felt her heart pounding as they stared into each other's gaze a little longer than usual. When he didn't look away, she felt her cheeks burning and she broke the spell first, giggling nervously and fanning herself a little, "Wow, why is it suddenly so hot here? Do you think it's because we're so close to the fireworks?"

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, as they exited the theme park. Now that the park was closed, it finally occurred to him that in all their excitement, they had completely forgotten about their lunch.

"Extremely!" Jan Di exclaimed, clutching at her tummy.

"What do you feel like having?"

"Hmm," Jan Di thought about it for a minute before replying, hands clasped together in delight, "Kalbi would be extra delicious right now. This is the perfect weather for it!"

"Okay, that sounds like a great idea and I know just the place!" Ji Hoo started to move towards the direction of his bike when he felt a slight pull on his jacket sleeve. He turned back to see Jan Di staring at him somewhat hesitantly.

"But," she said, "what about you?"

"What do you mean? What about me?"

"Well, that's what I feel like eating, but what about you?"

Ji Hoo simply shook his head, and pulled her towards him, "Silly, it doesn't really matter where or what we eat, as long as we're having the meal together."

"Are you sure?"

He could see that unlike most of the other girls he knew, she wasn't as comfortable or accustomed to being pampered to this extent. To put her at ease, he reminded her, "Yes, but, you're forgetting the most important thing."

"What's that?"

"It's still Jan Di Day today. But you only have a remaining time of…" He glanced at his watch, before continuing, "Four hours to do whatever you want."

That finally brought a smile back on her face, and she gave Ji Hoo a quick squeeze before running off towards his bike, yelling, "Last one to the bike pays for supper!"

When they arrived at the small family-style BBQ restaurant, Jan Di was clearly stunned to see that the staff seemed to recognize Ji Hoo and immediately got them seated in a good spot.

"How do you know of such a place?" She asked.

"Why? Do you think I only eat at fancy restaurants?"

Before she could answer, he called one of the waiters over. He could tell that she was even more surprised when he placed the order without even looking at what was available. When the waiter left them, Ji Hoo explained, "While Jun Pyo would never step foot into such a place willingly, Yi Jung, Woo Bin and I would often come here whenever we were in the mood for a good soju and barbecue session, or when any of us just needed to get away from everyone else at school or home. This was sort of our secret hang out, away from where everyone would expect us to be, and now you know about it."

"Well, this certainly isn't a place where one would expect to find one of the F4s around."

Ji Hoo chuckled, "Which is precisely the point."

Jan Di looked like she had something to say, but then she turned her head at the last second and called out for an order of soju.

Ji Hoo gave her a curious look, "What's that for?"

"I feel like this moment calls for a toast."

Ji Hoo shook his head, "I have to drive us home later and technically, you're still a week away from being of legal age to drink soju."

"Shhhh!" Jan Di looked around, before whispering, "Don't be so mean, we're just going to have a few one shots to commemorate this occasion, okay? Today has been nothing short of perfect, so don't go spoiling it by being Mister Goody Two-Shoes now."

"But..."

"Nope! No buts, just let me do this or else next week I'm going to drink ten bottles all on my own on my birthday and then you'll have an extremely drunk Jan Di to take care of."

"Tsk, tsk," Ji Hoo shook his head, though he couldn't hide his smirk, "This is rather unbecoming of you. Where did our sensible and mature Jan Di go?"

"Ummm, about that, actually, I'm not so sure if sensible is the right term for me."

"And why is that?"

"You see, the thing is, I've already tried alcohol once," she said sheepishly, before hurriedly adding, "but it was by accident! I promise!"

"When was this?" Ji Hoo asked.

"Well, do you remember at Seo Hyun's birthday, when we bumped into each other along the corridor? You were with her and you invited me out for a drive, but Jun Pyo said we were going somewhere else?"

Ji Hoo thought back to the night that Seo Hyun announced that she was leaving for good. While he mostly remembered his argument with her, along with that kiss that felt more like a goodbye than a plea to stay. He also recalled feeling oddly intrigued when he saw Jun Pyo put his arm around Jan Di as they left for wherever it was that they were going. He knew now that if Seo Hyun hadn't been standing beside him with her arm around his, he would've gone and followed them.

"So where did you go?"

"Jun Pyo went and rented out this entire expensive bar, just so that I could do whatever I wanted there, because I was upset..." Jan Di paused, looking away.

Ji Hoo could see that she was lost in thought as old emotions resurfaced and her memories came flooding back. After a beat, she started to laugh, but he could see that her eyes were filled with sadness.

"What happened that day, Jan Di? Why were you upset?"

The question brought her attention back to the present and she looked back at him. She seemed like she was contemplating on whether or not she should reveal the cause of her sadness that night, but in the end she laughed and said, "You know, it was so long ago that I can't remember why now."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yeah, and that's not the main point of this, so let's get back to the story, shall we? So anyway, we were at the bar and I accidentally drank something without knowing it had alcohol in it. Not sure how much I drank that night, but by the time Jun Pyo got back from the gents, I got so drunk that I apparently, according to Jun Pyo, puked all over his designer suit."

That last part elicited an evil giggle from her as she watched Ji Hoo's jaw drop. A second later, he too laughed, "So that explains why you were at his place the next day. Now that I think about it, I was wondering why and how you got there so early in the morning."

"You were?"

"Yes, but I knew it wasn't any of my business and to be honest, I also wasn't sure if I wanted to know either."

Just then the food and drinks arrived, and they started to tuck in. They kept their conversation to lighter topics for the rest of the night and Jan Di ended up taking most of the soju shots since Ji Hoo still had to drive later. By the time they were done with their supper, Jan Di was quite tipsy.

Getting her on the bike and driving them both home took a lot longer than usual, but Ji Hoo managed to make the journey back safely. When they entered the house, Jan Di asked in a loud whisper, "Sunbae, can I open your present now?"

"You're not sleepy?"

She shook her head, "I'm too happy to be sleepy. C'mon, follow me!"

Before he could answer, she took his hand and led him to her room.

She grabbed his present from her night stand and they ended up sitting beside each other on the edge of her bed.

"Thank you for giving me my first birthday present of the year!" She leaned close to him, almost as though she was about to kiss him, and Ji Hoo's eyes widen as he held his breath, frozen to the spot.

But then she suddenly drew back, excitedly unwrapping her present.

"Wow!" She exclaimed as the gift was revealed, "My very first stethoscope!"

"I hope you like it."

"Like it? Oh, I love it!" She opened the box and peered into it.

"I know it's a bit too early to get you this, but I want you to always be reminded and motivated to achieve your dreams, no matter what happens."

"Sunbae..."

He could see her tears starting to well, but he knew that they were from happiness. Nevertheless, he wiped them away with his thumbs.

Hoping to distract her, he asked, "Do you want to try it out?"

She nodded and joked, "You can be my first patient!"

Trying the stethoscope on, she leaned towards him until their faces were just inches apart. Ji Hoo sat stock still as she placed the chest piece over his heart.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened in surprise, "Sunbae, I can hear your heartbeat, and it's beating so fast and strong!"

They stared at each other for a long moment and then unable to resist, Ji Hoo leaned down to kiss her. It started off with just the barest of touch across her lips, soft and tentative. Their lips parted for a second, and he looked at her with wide eyes, almost as though he was expecting her to push him away. He was about to apologize when she leaned forward again, this time pushing him back on the bed as she hovered over him, kissing him back with a hunger that he never knew she had, and the intensity of their kiss escalated as he wrapped his arms around her.


	8. Chapter 8: The Brave

**Chapter** **8: The Brave**

 _Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway._  
John Wayne

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

As he felt her hands running over his back and shoulders, sliding up the back of his neck and then further up to his hair, he thought to himself that his existence would be in perfect and heavenly bliss if they could just live their entire remaining lives within this space in time.

He was also acutely aware and content with the sense that all logical or reasonable thought must have momentarily ceased to exist between either of them as he returned her kisses fiercely. In a flash, he rolled them over so that now he was hovering above her. She yelped and giggled when he left a trail of kisses down her neck before moving back up to kiss her lips.

A small moan escaped her and he broke their kiss for a second. Gazing down at her, he watched her big doll eyes stare up at him with an intensity that he had never seen before as she gasped breathlessly for air. They froze in that position for a few seconds and it was only then that the intelligible side of his brain seemed to have caught up with what was actually happening.

As much as he desperately wanted to continue, he knew that this wasn't necessarily right for either of them now, even if it felt so. He knew he didn't want to repeat the same mistake he made the last time when they kissed on the beach, only to have her feel guilty when Jun Pyo caught them together.

Against the instinct of his own longing and desires, he allowed his rational thinking to take over and unwillingly pulled himself away from her. He sat back up on the side of her bed, covering his face with both hands, as he let out a small but pained groan.

"What's wrong?" He heard her ask worriedly.

He felt her hand slide up to his shoulder and her voice was near him now, "Sunbae, d…did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't," he replied through his hands, willing himself not to give in to her touch.

It took him another minute to compose himself before he was ready to face her again. He took a deep calming breath and lowered his hands. Turning to face her, he gently took both her hands in his as he said, "While I've been aware of my feelings for you for a long time now, and I know for a fact that this, with you, is what I want, I also want you to be very sure that this is what you really want before we go any further from this point."

She stared at him silently, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say, Jan Di?"

"I think so?" She replied hesitantly, "But Sunbae, why are you…"

He placed a finger over her lips, preventing her from saying more, "Like I said, before we go any further with whatever this is between us, I want, no, I need you to be sure that _this_ is what you really want, because I don't want you to have any regrets about us or about what just happened later on." Should you eventually decide to choose Jun Pyo over me, he thought that last part bitterly.

She continued staring at him, but her eyes were filled with sadness now, "Sunbae, I'm not very sure what I should say right now. And why would you even think that I would regret this?"

"You don't have to say anything, and I don't want you to feel worried or pressured to give me an answer at this instant because I'm not expecting that, okay? We've both had a long day and since you're not quite sober, I'm guessing you may feel differently about things come tomorrow morning."

She pouted in drunken indignation, "But I'm not wasted and I'm pretty certain everything I've done tonight is based on my own sound mind and judgment, even if I do look a little drunk now."

Ji Hoo chuckled, "Only drunk people ever say that they're not drunk, Jan Di."

And then with both hands gently holding the sides of her face, he stretched upward and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. When they parted, she softly said, "For what it's worth, thank you for giving me the best birthday ever, Sunbae.

He gave her a warm smile, "You know it always makes me happy to see you happy, Jan Di."

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

The vibrating alarm from her phone chimed loudly, rousing Jan Di awake from her dream of Ji Hoo and her rolling about as they made out all over her bed. She groaned as she peeled her eyes open slightly, groggily reaching for her phone to silence the alarm.

With one hand still holding the phone, she yawned and rolled to her side, letting her eye lids start to flutter close again as she wished the day would start later just so she could continue living an additional few minutes in her sweet dream. Before closing her eyes completely, she spotted the stethoscope lying beside her on the bed and wondered curiously why it was there. It then took her a few more seconds before she bolted vertically upright from her slumbering position.

"Omo! All those kisses _weren't_ a dream?"

More memories of the night before came flooding back and when she thought back to how she practically pounced on Ji Hoo like a wildcat after he first kissed her, she felt a flush of heat rush to her cheeks. She threw the covers over her head and grabbed the nearest pillow to stuff her face into it. As the reality and realization of what transpired the night before fully dawned upon her, she squealed at the top of her lungs in both happiness and horror.

When she was finally done squealing, she threw her pillow aside and wondered how she was going to face Ji Hoo later without blushing like a tomato. Unfortunately, before she could figure out any sort of solution, her phone chimed again.

This time it was a text message from Ga Eul, " _We're still up for our cram session later, right?_ "

Jan Di groaned again and slapped her own forehead for having completely forgotten about it. However, since the day was still early, she knew she had more than enough time to prepare. She sent a quick reply to confirm their session and leapt out of bed to officially start her day.

Hurrying out of her bedroom, she spotted Grandfather in the dining room having breakfast whilst reading the newspaper.

"Good morning Grandfather," she called out as she took a seat at the table.

Lowering his newspaper, he replied, "Oh, good morning Jan Di. Looks like it's going to be a busy day today, huh?"

Jan Di nodded in reply as she buttered a piece of bread, "Definitely, Ga Eul and I are going to have an intense cram session of plenty of disgusting math later."

Grandfather laughed at her interesting choice of words and then looked around the dining room, as though he was making sure there was no one else around. Once he confirmed they were alone, he set aside the newspaper and leaned forward in her direction, asking in a conspiratorial whisper, "So, did you and Ji Hoo have fun yesterday?"

The question brought about another string of memories from the day before and she blushed at the recollection. Before she could reply, Grandfather chuckled in glee, "Ha, your face says it all, Jan Di! Looks like the date went perfectly for both of you!"

Jan Di exclaimed in panic, "Oh no! Grandfather, please don't misunderstand, it really wasn't a _date_ date!"

He wriggled his eyebrows at her, replying in disbelief, "Uh huh, sure it wasn't. Looking at my grandson's face this morning, I've never seen him look so happy to head to the library at such an ungodly early hour."

"But maybe there's a reason for…"

"Don't tell me it's because he can't wait to return those textbooks."

Jan Di knew nothing would convince the old man otherwise, and she sighed in defeat.

In contrast to her reaction, Grandfather smiled in relief, "Heh, now I'm not so worried about that bunch of flowers anymore."

"Huh? What flowers?"

"There was a delivery for you just now. Seems like someone other than my grandson thought it would be romantic to send you those. Hmph, I would like to tell that fellow it's a nice try, but I doubt he's any better than my Ji Hoo!"

Jan Di grinned at the display of Grandfather's loyalty, "Ji Hoo Sunbae is the best, isn't he?"

"Well of course he is! Otherwise he wouldn't be my grandson." Grandfather beamed proudly, "But, be that as it may, I still signed and accepted those flowers on your behalf since you weren't out of your room yet."

"And where is it now?"

"I left them in the living room. Good thing Ji Hoo was already gone when they got delivered. I can imagine him feeling rather jealous about it even if he won't admit it. Hmm, maybe I should give the boy a few of my world famous Romance 101 lessons, just to remind him that he needs to make the time and effort to keep the fire going, don't you agree?"

Jan Di simply smiled and ate her breakfast as thought to herself, oh, Grandfather, if you only knew how we nearly burned the house down last night with our fire!

After breakfast, Jan Di went to the living room and found the delivery that Grandfather mentioned. Her eyes nearly popped out of its sockets when she saw that the "bunch of flowers" turned out to be an absurdly enormous bouquet of red and pink roses.

She tried to do a quick tally on the number of roses in the bouquet but lost count once she got past sixty.

"Aigoo, no wonder he wanted to give Sunbae a Romance 101 class," she muttered.

Not wanting anyone else to see it, she hid the giant bouquet in her room, stashing it in a corner in hopes that it would be less conspicuous there. She opened the card that came with it and read the note with sinking dread, "Sending you an early Happy Birthday gift. Hope to hear from you soon, I really miss you."

It wasn't signed off but she knew full well who it was from.

Turning back towards the door, she felt a pang of guilt hit her when she spotted the stethoscope still lying on her bed. Oddly enough, she felt like she was betraying Ji Hoo by leaving the roses in her room. Not knowing what else to do, she let out a strangled cry of exasperation as she grabbed a cardigan that was hanging on her chair and threw it over the bouquet to further cover it from sight.

* * *

On her way to meet Ga Eul, Jan Di stared out the window of the bus, her mind lost in thought as she reflected upon Ji Hoo's words, asking her to think things over and be sure if this relationship between them was what she really wanted.

And while she might not have been entirely sure about what she wanted in terms of being with the man of her dreams, she was certain now about what she didn't want. She imagined her life without him around her, living alone in the US with her brand new life with only Jun Pyo by her side. She tried to imagine being happy while living miles away from all her friends and her own family, but the thought of it only made her even more depressed and she knew then what had to be done.

Grabbing her phone out of her backpack, she sent a text to Ji Hoo, " _Sunbae, I need to tell you something important. Are you free for dinner tonight?_ "

Within ten seconds, he replied to her message, " _Sure, but is everything okay? Just let me know the time and place to meet._ "

She let out a relieved breath she hadn't known she was even holding and responded with the details. She wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing for either of them, but she knew she had to be honest with him, " _I think I will be._ _Let's meet at The Park Café at 7pm._ "

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

Staring at her message, he kept rereading her words on his phone, " _I think I will be_."

He wondered what the meaning behind that message was, and while he wanted to hope for the best, he knew it was more likely that he should be preparing himself for the worst. It was his likely assumption that she had finally made her decision and was ready to tell him about her upcoming move to the US with Jun Pyo.

He sighed hopelessly and put his phone away.

If he had a choice, he probably would've avoided meeting her for dinner forever, but he knew it was useless to feel that way since it would change nothing and all things in life were eventually inevitable. Sooner or later, he would have to come to terms with it and respect her wishes, no matter what they were. The only thing he could do was to prepare and steel himself against it since the last thing he would ever want was for her to see him crumble to pieces when that unfortunate news came.

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

After hours of cramming as much practice and memorizing of facts and formulas as they could handle, Ga Eul and Jan Di finally decided to take a well-deserved lunch break at one of their most favorite burger joints in the area.

Although Jan Di would've preferred a quiet and peaceful lunch, her best friend had another idea of how their precious lunch hour should be spent.

"So are things between you and Jun Pyo all good now?"

Jan Di's burger froze in mid journey on the way to her open mouth. While it seemed like a simple enough question, she knew that a simple answer wasn't going to suffice. She placed her burger back on the open wrapper and asked, "What do you mean by good exactly?"

"Well, you know, like getting back together as a couple. Yi Jung told me what happened when you guys met that day. At least, during the parts that he could see while he was there. To be honest, it didn't sound like the whole thing was going too well for either of you."

"No, it did not."

"But why did it not? I thought you would be happy that he wants to get back together so badly. I mean, if it weren't for his mother, you two would still be a couple now."

"It's because his idea of fixing things is for us to simply move entirely out of Korea. And personally, I'm really not sure if moving to the US is the answer to all of our problems."

Ga Eul frowned, "What? Moving to the US? But isn't it all rather sudden?"

Jan Di nodded.

"Well, that changes things. I wasn't expecting such a drastic measure. But then again, this is Jun Pyo we're talking about. And while it _is_ a big sacrifice to ask of you, isn't this also a great opportunity for your future?"

"Not if I have to become totally dependent on him when we're there. So no, I wouldn't considered this an opportunity, really."

"So you're not planning on getting back with him because of that?"

"No, I mean, that's not the only reason for that. I think it's really because I…" Jan Di paused for a second, chewing on her lower lip, as though the notion of what she wanted to say had only just occurred to her.

"Hello?" Ga Eul waved a hand in front of her, "Earth to Jan Di, you still here? You were saying it's because you what?"

Jan Di took a shaky breath, finally daring to admit aloud for the first time, "Because I think I've fallen in love with my first love all over again."

An audible gasp escaped Ga Eul as her eyes widened in surprise, "Omo, omo, omo! You've fallen in love with Ji Hoo Sunbae again?"

Jan Di cringed at her friend's dramatic reaction and gave her a quick whack on the arm, "Yah! Not so loud, Ga Eul! Are you trying to get this whole place to notice how messed up my love life is?"

"Oh, yah, I'm sorry, but what the heck, I seriously wasn't expecting that from you!"

"Ugh, I think I'm already starting to regret telling you about it."

Ga Eul pouted, "But I'm your best friend!"

"And best friends are supposed to help keep their best friend's secrets, not announce them to everyone!"

"Eeesh, alright already, I didn't mean to tell the whole world. Your confession just came out of nowhere and shocked me."

The girls continued their meals in silence for a while and once the initial surprise subsided, Ga Eul asked another question, "So have you told Ji Hoo Sunbae about how you feel yet?"

Jan Di shook her head, "Not yet, but I was planning to do that tonight."

Her best friend squealed in delight, "Daebak! I hope everything goes okay tonight, Jan Di. Goodness knows the both of you deserve to be happy after all you guys have been through together."

She smiled in gratitude, "Thanks, Ga Eul."

"And have you thought about how you're going to tell Jun Pyo?"

"Frankly, no, I haven't. But I just sent him a text asking if we could meet tomorrow. That being said, I've yet to figure out _how_ I should break this to him, at least not in a way that's not going to hurt him too badly. It's not something I want to do, but I have to be fair to him and it's got to be done either way, right?"

"Jan Di, I doubt there's any way to really avoid the pain of the truth, but based on his determined character, I can imagine that he's not going to accept your decision about this. At least not initially, that's for sure."

Jan Di sighed, knowing Ga Eul was right. The whole Jun Pyo situation certainly wasn't going to be an easy dilemma for her to resolve and as much as she didn't want to hurt him again, she knew that allowing him to prolong his hope of them being together would be even worse.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

It was ten minutes to seven and Ji Hoo had just arrived outside The Park Café.

Nervously he paced about, as speculations of what she wanted to tell him whirled about in his mind the entire day after he received that message. The tension was almost too much for him to bear and for a split second, he even considered cancelling their dinner if it meant that he could get by another day without the likelihood of her crushing his dreams.

But as fate would have it, running away was not an option, and he heard someone call out to him just then.

"Ji Hoo, is that you? What are you doing here?"

Recognizing the voice and hoping it was just his imagination, he turned towards the source and saw that it was indeed Jun Pyo standing before him.

"Oh, Jun Pyo," he plastered on his best smile, attempting to hide the uneasiness he was feeling.

"Are you having dinner here?"

Ji Hoo nodded, but didn't provide any further information about it.

"Well isn't that a coincidence? I was on my way out of here when I saw you."

While Ji Hoo was relieved that it meant that Jun Pyo couldn't stay for long, he couldn't help but ask, "Were you with someone?"

"Yeah, just one of my lawyers, there was some extra paperwork to settle and I had to give a few final instructions about my living arrangements in the US."

Now that he knew what it was about, Ji Hoo wished he hadn't asked.

Jun Pyo gave a cheerful grin and added, "I have to make sure that everything will be ready and all set to go once Jan Di gives me the official okay, you know?"

He couldn't stand seeing the smile on his best friend's face and blurted out before he could stop himself, "Are you really sure that what you're doing is in her best interest?"

The smile on Jun Pyo's face vanished in an instant, "What?"

"I mean, aren't you being a little selfish here? Have you even tried to put yourself in her position? How could you simply ask her to leave everything she has here? How can you just go on about it like everything's okay, making all these big life decisions for her, when Jan Di herself hasn't even agreed to any of it yet?"

Jun Pyo scoffed, "What's with all the questions? And more importantly, why are you being so upset about this? It's not like any of this is your business. This is between her and me."

"In case you haven't been paying attention for the past month and a half, Jan Di's wellbeing _is_ my business."

But that statement only made Jun Pyo laugh, "Where is all this resentment suddenly coming from? Are you perhaps still in love with her even after she chose me?"

"Chose you? I believe that at present the two of you are still broken up, isn't it?"

"Not for long, because I know she still has feelings for me. She just needs some time to accept that the only way for the two of us to make it right this time, is if we start afresh away from here, particularly away from all the people who want to keep us apart."

It was Ji Hoo's turn to laugh then, "Are you kidding me, Jun Pyo? Are you so out of touch with reality that you can't seem to accept things as they are now?"

Jun Pyo dove forward and seized the lapels of Ji Hoo's shirt collar, "Are you looking to get punched in the face right now?"

"Go ahead, if you dare. It doesn't change the fact that you're still not accepting reality and all of this is simply you acting out of your own selfish needs."

Just as he watched Jun Pyo's fist pulling back to aim for a strike, a third voice suddenly shouted from afar, "Jun Pyo, stop it! Don't you even think about hurting Ji Hoo Sunbae! Let go of him right this second!"

He turned and saw Jan Di sprinting towards them as fast as she could. Yanking the both of them apart when she reached, both men stared at her wordlessly, dumbfounded by her sudden appearance.

She gave an angry glare at Jun Pyo before turning to Ji Hoo. Clutching at her sides, she asked in concern while still panting for oxygen, "Sunbae, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Despite the shock, he managed to reply her, "I'm alright, Jan Di. Don't worry about it."

"Thank goodness," she panted, "I'm sorry, but given the situation, I think we'll have to postpone our dinner for a while, is that okay?"

Not knowing what else to say, he could only nod at her suggestion.

"Why don't you get some take-out and wait for me at home? We can still do dinner together and this shouldn't take too long, I promise."

For some reason, that last statement filled him with an even deeper dread but he somehow managed to give her a small smile, "Okay, I'll see you at home, then. Be careful."

She nodded and gave him an encouraging smile of her own, "I will, and I'm really sorry, Sunbae."

"That's okay, Jan Di. You just do what you have to do. I'll be waiting for you at home."

"Okay, I'll see you in a while. Get home safely, okay?"

And with that, she whirled around and focused her attention back on Jun Pyo.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Gu Jun Pyo!" she yelled aloud, pointing an angry finger at him for added effect.

Despite the circumstance, Ji Hoo almost wanted to laugh as he watched his best friend literally took a fearful step back from her.

"You and I need to talk," she scowled, and started to move towards him, "And you are going to follow me without a single word of protest, got that?"

Grabbing his hand in hers, she marched in the opposite direction, pulling him along with her as they left Ji Hoo alone outside the café. He felt his heart sink as he watched them leave together, wishing he could have had more time to make a few other happy memories with her before everything between them would be forced to come to an end.


	9. Chapter 9: The Change

**Chapter 9: The Change**

 _Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward_ _._  
C.S. Lewis

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

She wasn't sure how long or how far they had walked, but somehow they'd ended up at one of the parks along the Han River.

"Are you still mad at me?" Jun Pyo asked.

Jan Di shook her head and said, "Not for now, but we still need to talk."

She spotted an empty bench nearby and went over to it, settling on one end, while Jun Pyo who was following close behind, sat on the other.

"This almost feels like a date, doesn't it?"

She glanced over and saw him smiling ironically at her, "Sure, but as far as dates go, this has been quite a disastrous one, even by your standards."

Surprisingly, the comment made him laugh, "So were you meeting Ji Hoo for a date tonight? Did I ruin it for the two of you?"

Hearing the tinge of jealously in his tone, she almost felt bad for him, until she thought back to the flash of hurt and anger she saw in Ji Hoo's eyes when they were arguing outside the café. For some reason, the memory of it infuriated her, and she abruptly stood from her seat to stand in front of Jun Pyo, glowering down at him.

"Speaking of Ji Hoo, what exactly did you say to him earlier?"

Jun Pyo narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion, "What does that matter to you?"

"It just does, Jun Pyo. And in case you forgot, he's still your best friend."

He snorted at the sentiment, "I don't understand why it should matter since everything I said was simply statements of mere facts anyway. It's not my fault that he can't accept the truth for what it is."

"Oh really, is that so?"

"Well, of course it is! After all, how could he presume to know what's best for you?"

That remark was the last straw for her and while it took all of her self-control not to yell at him, she said in a harsh tone, "You know what, Gu Jun Pyo? Here's a newsflash for you. While Ji Hoo Sunbae may not know what's best for me, you don't know that either! So please, for all our sakes, you'd better start telling me what was said between the two of you, or else you're going to see my fist land in your face very soon!"

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

Carrying the bag of takeaway in one hand, he walked alone along the quiet path back to his home, lost in troubled contemplation. Try as he might, he couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And while he had always enjoyed the peace and comfort that came from moments of being on his own, tonight that solitude haunted him, and he felt only a sense of isolated hollowness.

The memory of her pulling his best friend away was on constant replay on his mind. As he watched them leave together, their backs turned against him. All he _could_ do was simply stand and watch them both disappear from his sight, knowing that this was a matter in which he had no say in.

When he finally reached the front door of his home, he found that he couldn't bring himself to take another step forward and into his house.

He imagined her coming home for their dinner later, and right in the middle of it, she would announce about her moving away with Jun Pyo and explain that this was ultimately all for the best and that she could only hope that he would be happy for both of them.

That visual made him sick to the pit of his stomach. Despite the time he had to get mentally prepared for this day, he still couldn't bring himself to accept things. Wearily, he exhaled a tired breath. He felt as though something inside him had snapped, like a dam that was finally breaking under the tension of immense pressure.

He turned away from his home and headed back to the path he had taken earlier. _Screw the goddamn truth_ , he thought. It would just have to wait.

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

"He's right, you know," Jan Di said quietly after hearing the details of his altercation with Ji Hoo earlier. She sat back down on her side of the bench and gazed out at the river, "I really think it's time that you and I need to accept that this isn't going to work, and there's nothing that neither of us can do now to change that."

"Jan Di, what on earth are you talking about?"

As she watched the shock and confusion spread across his face, she felt a part of her breaking inside as well. And though it did pain her to see him like this, she knew it had to be said out loud, "Jun Pyo, I'm sorry, but I need to be true to myself and admit that if we both really want to be happy and want what's truly best for each other, then the paths we take to get there, can't be one that's taken together."

She could see that her words had hit him hard and though he struggled to contain himself, tears started to roll down his face and his voice was thick with emotion as he asked, "How could you think that? And where is this coming from? Is this because of Ji Hoo? Have you two been spending so much time together now that you've forgotten about our relationship?"

Jan Di felt her own tears spilling, and wiped them aside quickly, "Please don't blame him. Ji Hoo isn't the reason for the end of us, Jun Pyo. The first and most fundamental thing you need to understand is that my whole life is here. My family, friends, my dreams of being a doctor one day and helping Ji Hoo's Grandfather at the clinic, all of it are things that make me who I am. And I've decided that I'm not going to give up on my dreams now in order to follow yours. It wouldn't be fair and I don't want there to be any blame or animosity to be caused between us later on because of that."

"I'm sorry that you feel this way, but please Jan Di, is there nothing I can do to change your mind about this?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry too, Jun Pyo."

"Then if that's truly the case, would you consider waiting for me? It wouldn't have to be for too long. I could come back in a few years, after I've established myself there and hopefully meet all my targets to help the business grow to where it needs to be. I promise you I'll come back and we could be together again."

She heard the desperation in his voice, and while she wanted to look away from his hopeful gaze, she knew she had to bite the bullet. She looked straight at him and said, "Jun Pyo, we both know that's not going to work either. Who knows how long those 'few years' may end up being? And if you succeed, I'm sure you'll be given bigger and more challenging projects, which may or may not land you in Seoul. By then, we'd probably be completely different people and we might not even feel the same way about each other anymore. Even now, to be honest, I …," she heard her own voice start to waver and paused for a moment, taking in a deep steadying breath before continuing, "I haven't been feeling the same way about a lot of things since I returned to Seoul. And I've been gradually adjusting, learning to live my life without you and taking the time to focus and take care of myself for once. And I have to admit that during these few weeks, I like who I am and who I can see myself becoming, way more than I did during the times when we were together."

She never broke her gaze from his and it took Jun Pyo several moments before he quietly asked, "Are you saying that the real reason that you don't want to be with me anymore, is because I'm a negative impact on you and I just make you feel bad about yourself? Is that why you don't love me anymore?"

More tears started to fall but she managed to speak in a clear voice, "I think there's always going to be a part of me that loves you, Jun Pyo. But let's be realistic. Love alone isn't enough to sustain a relationship like ours. Do you still remember the time when I asked you why you chose me, the girl with nothing, and you explained that since you already possessed money, reputation and good looks, you didn't need that from me, and therefore all I had to be to you was myself and that was why you chose me?"

"Yes, I do. It was during our time together on Jeju Island."

"I never told you this before because even I didn't want to admit it myself, but that answer has always bothered me. It made me feel like I was always standing in fourth place after your money, fame and looks. If you were never given those things in your life, would you still want me for me? Or would you then rather choose a path that could give you all that in exchange for having the girl with nothing in your life?"

"I'm sorry, but that's a very stupid way of thinking, Jan Di. It would be impossible for me to not have all that and even if it were, you should know that our love for each other would overcome all of that. We've done it before, and we can do it again."

"But how can you say it's not possible? Aren't you making that choice now? Because regardless of whether I stay or follow you to America, you have to choose Shinhwa either way. And knowing that just proves to me that as much as we have feelings for each other, it would just never be enough to conquer all of the other things that are important to you. And no Jun Pyo, I can't keep jumping over these crazy hurdles every time we're met with an obstacle, sacrificing bits of what and who I am, just for the sake of staying together. Not anymore. I need to be true to myself, and I hope you can understand and respect my decision."

Jun Pyo was stunned and stared at her for a full minute, as though she were a stranger he was meeting for the first time, "Wow, I have to say, you've really changed, Jan Di."

"Maybe I have, or maybe I've finally grown a spine and learnt how to be brave enough to live life for myself for once." She found it almost hilarious that she could be so fearless when it came to protecting others, and yet there were so many times when she wasn't even brave enough to stand up or believe in herself.

For once, it felt good to be truly open and honest with herself and her feelings, and she'd hoped that with this epiphany and enlightenment achieved, she could finally live her life in her own way.

* * *

She stood alone in the middle of the living room, wondering where in the world he could be.

While Grandfather had told them that he would be at a charity fundraiser tonight, she'd been expecting to at least see Ji Hoo somewhere around, and preferably with their take out dinner all laid out and ready for her arrival.

She tried searching in every nook and cranny of the house just to make sure he wasn't actually taking a nap in some secret spot, but alas, he was nowhere to be found.

Following her futile search, she tried texting and calling him, but all her attempts at contact failed. She tried to fathom why he wasn't responding to any of it, but the only things that came to mind were all horrified imaginings that she would rather not think about.

Jan Di stepped back out of the house and tried to rack her brains for any ideas of where he could be at this hour and with no particular place in mind, she decided that the only logical method was to search the surrounding areas and then gradually head further out based on the few locations she knew of where he'd usually spend time at.

After a few hours of checking out the various locations where the F4 were usually seen, she then moved on to the place where they had their BBQ dinner, and as a last and unlikely resort, she even tried his university's library. Yet despite the exhaustive search, Jan Di still couldn't find him and she was starting to get more worried with each passing hour.

Constantly, she checked her phone and sent several more texts as the night wore on, but all she got in return was radio silence.

She tried to convince herself that it was nothing and in efforts to relieve her own mounting anxiety, she decided to head to the clinic, hoping to distract herself with some mundane chores. Upon entering, she switched on the lights to the reception area and stifled a scream when she saw the frightening sight before her.

Littered all over the floor was an abundant of empty soju bottles, trailing from the waiting room area all the way right into Grandfather's office. And while she was terrified, she also felt a rising fury towards this intruder. Mainly because she would have to be the one to clean this entire mess up before the clinic opened its doors in the morning, and the fact that she would likely have to continue searching for a still missing Ji Hoo later.

"Like seriously! This nuisance could not have come at a worst time!" She grumbled to herself.

Just as she took her first step forward to pick one of the empty bottles up, she saw a lone green bottle noisily roll out of the darkened office. With a sinking dread, she then realized that whoever did this would very likely still be present in the clinic.

Despite her fear, she was more driven by her rage to confront this intruder. She cautiously reached for the broom that was just beside the bench in the waiting area and gripped it tightly with both hands like a baseball bat, ready to swing and strike at whoever this foolish trespasser was.

She inched quietly forward, stealthily side stepping all the green glass bottles that hindered her path to the office. Just as she was about to enter, she heard a voice drunkenly say, "Am I imagining things or did someone just switch the lights on?"

A figure suddenly loomed into view at the doorway and in her panic of not wanting to lose her only advantage of having the element of surprise, swung the broom at him with all her might and heard a loud crack as the stick made contact with some part of him.

The figure gave a shout and crumpled to the floor, "What the…?"

She swung her makeshift baseball bat upwards again, ready for another strike if he came at her. In a harsh voice, she asked "Who are you and why did you break in here?"

The figure clutched at his nose with both hands and looked up at her with an annoyed glare that quickly turned into a surprised and alarmed expression. With widened eyes, he asked in a muffled voice, "Jan Di?"

Her eyes widened in shock as well, "Omo! What have I done?"

She immediately dropped her broom and rushed to his side, falling to her knees so she could get a better look at the damage she'd caused, "Sunbae! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

He gingerly moved his hands away and saw that they were both covered in blood.

Horrified at what she had done, tears started to spring from her eyes.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

"Please don't cry, Jan Di, I'm fine." Ji Hoo managed to say, despite being both drunk and hurt. The funny thing he noticed was that despite feeling disoriented from the whack to his face, he oddly felt like it sobered him up now.

"But you're not fine! There's blood everywhere on your face and there's even a bit of it on your nice new shirt," she sobbed. "I can't believe I actually broke your nose."

He would've laughed if he wasn't tearing up from the pain, "I'm pretty sure it's not broken, just a bit…injured from the impact."

He tried to stand, but his legs started to give way and she rushed to hold him up, propping his weight against her before he could slump back down again.

"I'm sorry for beating you up so hard," she said remorsefully.

"This is because of the soju," he explained, "not your hit. I've just never had this much to drink before."

She looked like she didn't quite believe it but whether or not that was the case, she simply said. "Here, lean on me and I'll help get you across the room."

Bringing him back into Grandfather's office, she settled him onto the treatment table, letting him sit upright before grabbing a box of tissues for him. While he tried to stop the bleeding, she got a damp washcloth and attempted to clean up some of the blood on his hands and face, avoiding his nose which looked like it was already starting to swell.

With his head tilted forward, she watched him pinched the lower part of his nose gingerly.

"Thanks for the cleanup, Jan Di." He managed to give her a reassuring smile, "I'll be fine in a while."

"What else do you need?"

"If it's not too much trouble, could you get me an ice pack from the mini fridge?"

She nodded and passed him the ice pack. She pointed towards his hand which was still on his nose, "Is that supposed to stop the bleeding?"

"Yes, it's meant to help the healing process along."

"And how does that work?"

"Do you want the simple or medical explanation?"

"Hmm, I think I'd like to hear the medical version? You know, since I'm going to be a doctor someday."

"Okay, well, as you can probably deduce just from looking, that by applying some pressure to my nosebleed, it helps to reduce the bleeding. Basically that works the same way on any blood loss wound to help lessen the flow. In this case, the pinching applies pressure to the nasal septum, which for most nosebleeds is usually where the source of the blood loss occurs. So to summarize and conclude, adding this bit of pressure should effectively stop it in a few minutes."

"And what's the ice pack for?" She pointed at the small bag beside Ji Hoo, the pack that she'd just retrieved from the mini fridge.

"The ice pack will just help me later with the external bruising and swelling, that's all. It's not going to make much of a temperature difference at the nasal septum, even while it's true that the cold ice can help to constrict blood vessels, decrease blood flow and pressure to the bleeding area, pinching works better considering the source of the bleeding. Plus, I would look very silly trying to do both at the same time."

Jan Di couldn't help but be amazed and smiled, "Wow, what you just did. That was really cool, even though you did sound a bit nasally while you're holding onto your nose."

Ji Hoo raised a curious eyebrow at that, "Cool?"

"You know, how you explained it all so…medically."

She gave a shrug like a bashful schoolgirl and he couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden shyness, "I'm pretty sure you're the only girl around here who would find all that med school talk cool."

Jan Di scoffed, "Yeah sure, try telling that to your legion of fans. You could be reciting the phone book and they'd probably say that that's the sexiest thing anyone's ever said to them."

Ji Hoo barked out a laugh, which was quickly followed by a grimace and fresh bleeding.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Sunbae! I didn't mean to make you laugh." She frowned, quickly pulling out a few pieces of tissues from the box and passing it to him.

With a grateful smile, he took the tissues from her and cleaned himself up as best as he could. Just as he was about to thank her, a loud growling noise could be heard throughout the entire clinic.

They both froze in awkward silence for a second and Ji Hoo watched her blush beet red in embarrassment.

"Jan Di, when was the last time you ate?"

She shook her head, "I'm not going to answer that because it wasn't the right question. The correct question you should be asking me is if I've had my dinner yet. To which I would reply that we were supposed to be having it at home together, like, right now, instead of having you hiding out here and me nearly killing you by mistake, thinking you were some lunatic who broke into the clinic."

Ji Hoo gave her a guilty look, "If it's any consolation, I did get us that takeaway and it's right here, so at least, we can eat now?"

"Are you sure you can eat while you're still bleeding?"

"It'll stop any second now, so don't worry about me, okay?" He pointed at the desk in front of them, "See that big bag over there? It's got the best of both worlds in it."

"Which is?"

"Fried chicken and pizza from that place you like."

"Damn it. How can I ever stay mad at you?"

Ji Hoo grinned, "So what are you waiting for? Just grab that bag over here and start eating. Even if it's probably gone a bit cold by now, it's still better than nothing, right?"

She sighed and shook her head.

"Oh, and I also got you a bottle of juice in there if you want."

To his surprise, she asked, "I might save that for later. Do you still have soju?"

"Uh, yeah, I think there's still a bottle or two left, but are you sure?"

She nodded, "Hey, you're not the only one who needs a drink tonight."

She sat beside him on the treatment table with the box of fried chicken and a bottle of soju.

He watched her bite into a piece of chicken and smile in satisfaction before devouring the rest of it in record time. She then went on to uncap the bottle of soju and take a good swig of it.

For a moment, he wanted to remind her that what she was doing was illegal since she was still technically underage, but thought better of it when he saw the broom leaning against the wall, right beside her. He didn't fancy himself getting whacked on the face with it again, so instead he settled for starting the conversation off with something much simpler.

"Rough day, huh?"

"I suppose," she said, without looking up from the new piece of chicken she was eating, "but judging from all the empty bottles out there, it seems like you need to catch a break more badly than I do."

"Umm…yeah, I'm sorry that you had to see that," he started hesitantly, not quite sure how to explain his cause of temporary insanity. He didn't dare look at her as he confessed his crime, so he kept his gaze fixed on his shoes as he spoke, "And I'm sorry for not answering any of your calls or texts earlier as well, I know you were worried about me, but I needed some time alone by myself."

"Why did you need to be alone?"

"I had to sort my thoughts out because…I guess I was having a lot of trouble accepting the truth?"

He paused for a moment, trying to find the best way to explain how he was feeling. He could feel her eyes on him now, and so he took a deep breath to steady himself, before revealing everything that was troubling him, "The truth of losing you in the near future, the thought of having to stand aside and watch you leave with him to a place that's miles away, and that I'll probably never get to see you again."

He laughed bitterly at the thought, "I hate to admit this, but just knowing how all of that will soon become an actual reality terrifies me and I suppose that's what drove me to buy a dozen bottles of soju and hide out here, in hopes that the alcohol could somehow help me numb this pain I'm feeling."

He turned to look at her and saw that tears were glistening in her eyes.

Afraid that she was misunderstanding him, he quickly added, "Jan Di, don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming you for my bad behavior tonight, nor am I saying that I don't want you to be happy with Jun Pyo. I just…well, you know how I feel about you, and it's been hard for me to come to terms that I'll soon have to let you go, even though I've…"

"Sunbae, I broke up with Jun Pyo tonight," she abruptly interrupted.

The declaration stumped him briefly and he asked, "Wait, what did you just say? You did what?"

Despite her tears, there was a small smile on her lips, "I'm not moving to the US anymore."

Ji Hoo was dumbfounded by her unexpected reveal, he shut his eyes for a second, sure that his drunken mind was playing tricks on him, "I'm sorry Jan Di, but did you just say that you…"

"I've decided to really end things with Jun Pyo and I'm staying for good." The smile widened, and she added, "More importantly though, I wanted us to meet for dinner tonight because I was going to tell you that I think I'm in love with you, Sunbae."

"Huh?" His eyes widened and he stared at her in disbelief.

"While I am sad that I've ended things with Jun Pyo, I knew I had to do that, because I'm quite sure that over the course of these few weeks, I feel like I've finally found myself and just spending this time with you has made me the happiest I've ever been in a long while. Which then led me to realize that maybe all these feelings I'm having, whenever I'm with you, is actually what they call being blissfully in love with someone."

As her words sunk in, his shocked expression turned into one that mirrored hers, and he leaned forward in a rush to kiss her. To his elation, she kissed him back just as eagerly and it felt both passionate and lingering at the same time. When they slowly parted at the end of the kiss, they both broke into a wide grin.

He gave her a tight hug, and confessed with a sense of relief that he was finally able to say out loud to her, "I love you too, Jan Di."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Hi everyone! *waves* Sorry it's taken a while to get this chapter out, but as you can see from this chapter's events, it seems like our plucky heroine has finally come around, so I hope it's been worth the wait! Also, I just wanted to say Thank You for all your support and comments, and I hope you'll keep sharing your views with me. Oh, and special shout-out as well to_ _JHsgf82 for your chapterly indepth reviews, always love them! :)_


	10. Chapter 10: The Friend

**A/N:** Annyeonghaseyo! Before we proceed with the next installment, I just want to say that I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write this. My laptop died on me last month and I only just managed to get a new one last week! It was a horrible time for me and I went back to writing as soon as I could. With that, I hope that this chapter is able to satisfy some of your curiosity and thank you all once again for your patience.

 **Chapter 10: The Friend**

 _There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.  
_ Jane Austen

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

Even though he wasn't comfortable with the idea, he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. Rather, it was Mr. Jung who made that clear when he asked Ji Hoo if he was available for a meeting this morning. His facial expression alone told him that the question was simply a polite formality and it wasn't the sort of query that was up for any sort of negative response.

While he had a vague idea of what this sudden appeal for a meeting would be about, Ji Hoo wasn't in any frame of mind to prepare himself mentally nor emotionally for it. Little was said between them as Mr. Jung drove towards the city, and Ji Hoo sat beside him, knowing that there was not much point in asking anyway.

He spent most of the drive looking out the passenger side of the car, thankful for the quiet as his mind kept drifting back to memories of her and what happened between them last night. He wasn't sure if it was because it was still too early in the morning for his brain to function properly, but the entire memory still felt like a dream to him. He found it hard to believe that Jan Di had so bluntly admitted that she was in love with him too.

After the shared confessions of their mutual feelings and that amazing kiss, he once again unclasped the silver chain around his neck and slid the precious family heirloom out onto his open palm. He held it up to her with a sense of confidence that wasn't there the last time he did this.

As he watched her stare at the ring, he asked, "Do you remember what you said the last time you saw this?"

She nodded slightly, while still keeping her eye on the ring.

"Back then you said you couldn't accept it, because you hadn't yet earned the right to deserve this."

He held her left hand up slightly and easily slid the ring onto her ring finger. Surprised that it was the perfect size for her, he wondered if this was meant to be a sign that they were truly meant to be.

He looked up and saw that she was still staring at the ring, her eyes welling slightly with tears again.

"Wow…It fits perfectly, doesn't it?" Her voice wavered slightly, but there was a small smile on her face.

"Yes, it does, and based on what you just told me, I'm quite sure that you've earned your right to wear this now."

She let out a shaky breath before looking up to meet his gaze, and then her smile widened, beaming at him with so much emotion, that he knew for sure then that she was the one for him.

Before he had met her, he would've never imagined that he would ever feel this way about anyone, and even though he had seen her smiling on numerous occasions before, the sight of her smiling at him at this present moment, _because_ of his love for her, was the most beautiful vision he had ever seen of her. It was almost all too much to bear and he wondered with an oddly giddy sense of happiness if his heart was about to explode right there and then.

 _So, this is what it feels like. To be in love, and be loved in return_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

As she laid in bed, Jan Di stretched her left hand above her head and stared at the ring on her fourth finger. As she thought back on their kiss last night, she caught herself smiling foolishly and covered her face with both hands, muffling her squeals of exhilaration.

When she finally managed to compose herself, she got dressed as fast as she could and came out of her room, just in time to see Ji Hoo talking to someone at the door.

Even with his back facing her, she could tell that Ji Hoo, though seemingly calm, was on edge, and while she hadn't meant to eavesdrop, the bits of conversation she could overhear between him and the stranger seemed troubling as they spoke in hushed and serious tones. Cautiously, she hid behind a pillar and tried to catch a glimpse of who the mystery visitor was.

"I apologize for dropping by unannounced like this, but as I explained, she insists you meet her as soon as possible," the other man said.

Jan Di stifled a gasp as she recognized the voice belonging to none other than Mr. Jung.

"Would it be alright if we did this tomorrow? I mean, this might be hard for her to believe, but I actually do have a life and have plans scheduled for today."

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid that's not possible. If it's any consolation, she did say that the meeting would be brief."

Ji Hoo sighed, "Did she give you any sort of clue as to what this is all about?"

Over Ji Hoo's shoulder, she caught a partial view of Mr Jung shaking his head and then he said, "I wish I could provide you with more details too, but whatever this is about, it's really got her seeing red."

Several seconds of silence passed and then Ji Hoo replied calmly, "Alright then, I guess since there's nothing neither of us can do about it, let's make this quick."

With that final statement, she watched with dread as they left the house.

"Oh no, this can't be good at all," she whispered, before sprinting back to her room.

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

There was a foreboding sense of déjà vu as he looked across the desk at the older woman. He felt his blood run cold as she greeted him with a smile that could be best described as plastic and eyes that were glittering with malevolent delight.

Not wanting to prolong their meeting any longer than was necessary, Ji Hoo spoke first, "Mr. Jung said you had to see me urgently?"

"Come now, is that the first thing to say when you meet an elder?" Madam Kang asked in a deceptively cheery voice, "Shouldn't you be politely greeting me with a good morning instead?"

In contrast, Ji Hoo addressed in an emotionless voice, "Good morning, Madam Kang," and then quickly added, "I hope you don't mind my being direct, but was there a specific reason for this sudden meeting?"

This seemed to amuse her and she snickered, "Straight to the point as always, aren't you?"

Ji Hoo couldn't fathom a single reply that wouldn't sound like an angry retort, so he gave a curt nod in response.

"You know, I can't help but feel a little disappointed in how this turned out because admittedly you were really handling everything so perfectly well at first."

Ji Hoo's brows furrowed just slightly, unsure of what that meant.

As she extracted a thick manila envelope from one of her desk drawers, she said, "I think I was even impressed at some point and thought that I must've been wrong about you. That you must be more capable than you look."

He watched with a sinking feeling as she opened it and poured its contents all over her desk.

"But then," she sighed, "this had to happen."

His eyes widened in alarm when he saw what they were.

She picked out one of the many photos and waved it in front of him, "You know what they say about how a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, I have to declare that this particular one says it all and then some."

It was a snapshot of Ji Hoo standing by helplessly as he watched Jan Di hold Jun Pyo's hand in hers.

"I'm quite sure that whatever's happening here violates the entire terms of our agreement!" She snorted in derision, throwing the photo in his face.

"Didn't you say you love this girl, Ji Hoo? Didn't you declare that you would marry her some day? I hate to tell you this, but that photo looks like the opposite of what you've been saying!"

There was a moment of silence between them and then Ji Hoo said, "Those statements are still true and I know it looks bad, but I swear there's a valid explanation to all this."

Madam Kang laughed out loud, "Save it, kid. I frankly have no care or interest in your trivial excuses. You had your chances, but you blew it and now your Grandfather will have to pay the price for your failure."

Ji Hoo shot up from his seat, causing the chair to topple backwards.

With a burning gaze, he raised his voice, "Do with me what you will, but this has nothing to do with him. Leave him out of this!"

She gave a wicked smile, "And why would I do that? In case you didn't realize it, this whole thing is a win-win for me, don't you see? If you had kept yourself and Jan Di away from my son, like we agreed, then it was only a matter of time before he'd come to me. But of course, if that failed, then I stood to gain your Grandfather's legacies, which would certainly benefit my company."

"What could you possibly stand to gain from taking over my Grandfather's foundation?"

"Oh, plenty, my child. Taking over his precious foundation could give Shinhwa nothing but limitless opportunities to generate all sorts of good press to help us garner even better approval ratings from both the public and government, and while we're at it, let's also not forget that adorable and quaint little charity clinic of his as well."

"You can't possibly take it away!"

"Believe me when I say that I can and I will. I have friends in high places and it would take just a snap of my fingers to slap all sorts of health code and licensing violations on him. Even if he was up to code, it would take months to investigate and by which time, I'm quite sure I could easily drain most of your family's finances, so let me give you a tip for free, and suggest that you don't fight it if it actually comes to that."

"Why would you even want his clinic in the first place?"

She smiled as though she was happy that he would ask, "Well, it just so happens that we've been looking for a prime location to develop our new line of boutique aesthetic surgery centers and it turns out that his clinic is in a great location! I really should thank you because this couldn't have come at a better time and our healthcare division will be overjoyed to hear that we've found just the place for them to launch their flagship center."

"No…there's no way you could do all that. And even if you did try, I would never let that happen!"

"Oh, is that right? And how exactly are you going to stop all of this? This isn't a negotiation and you know full well that you have no right or say in this entire matter since you have no leverage over me."

"We'll see about that," Ji Hoo seethed, but before he could say more, another voice interrupted them.

"He may not have any, but I certainly do,"

Ji Hoo turned and saw Jun Pyo standing in the open doorway. Both of them watched in shock as Jun Pyo stormed into the office. Stopping only when he stood beside Ji Hoo, he stared down at his mother in a look that was filled with loathing and disgust.

"I've had enough of you and your psychotic threats, Mother. You'd best leave my friends and their families the hell out of your sick games, or trust me, you're going to regret it."

Hastily recovering from her initial surprise, Madam Kang shot an outraged retort, "Trust you? Are you joking? This isn't a game, son. This is about securing your future as the head of our Empire. Can't you understand and see that it's all been for you?"

"But I don't need any of this!" He shouted at her in anger, "Who told you to do any of this? What is so wrong with you that you feel the need to hurt and even attempt to destroy the lives of my friends? Are you even human?"

Her eyes narrowed at him and she stood from her seat, yelling back in reply, "Your friends are the reason why you're not succeeding in life, Jun Pyo! Can't you see that? I'm only doing all of this to protect you!"

"What? Pro…protect me?" Jun Pyo laughed, and then in a soft but menacing voice that could only be heard by Ji Hoo and Madam Kang, he said, "I've been keeping myself in check because I was under the impression that you were only trying to control me. However, now that I've seen what you've been doing to my friends, you've left me with no choice but to take a very drastic action against you."

"And what sort of action might that be?" His mother scoffed in disbelief.

"There will be no heir to the Shinhwa Empire if you even so much as make an inquiry into the lives of my friends and their family. I swear I will leave this family, in fact, I would even leave the country if I had to. I'd like to see you explain that to Father."

"No, you can't mean that. You're obviously lying, you couldn't survive living out there on your own." Her voice was calm, but there was a nervous glint in her eyes.

"Am I? Would you like to put that statement to the test? Would you believe me if I told you that I've been thinking about all the ways I could leave this life ever since the first time Jan Di broke up with me?" he asked with a sad chuckle before adding, "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to run away with that girl because of you."

"You wouldn't have the guts to do that."

"If it means stopping you from ruining the lives of the people I care about, then yes, I would. You can certainly trust that I would do it in a heartbeat for them."

Madam Kang's fists clenched in anger, "Even if it meant breaking your promise to your Father?"

Jun Pyo bristled at the mention of his father, "Don't you dare do this again, and don't even think about manipulating me through him again. Have you no shame at all? What kind of mother lies to her family about her husband's death for the sake of corporate gain? What mother feels no remorse for coercing her children into doing things for her own selfish gains? And what's worse, gets a kick out of threatening to hurt the only family that's left of her son's best friend?"

Before Madam Kang could reply, Jun Pyo said, "You're sick and you disgust me. Don't even try to justify your actions by feeding me that lie about how you're doing it for the sake of his company or this family or my so-called bright future. You and I both know that's not anywhere remotely close to the truth."

"That's enough!" She screamed, as she swung her hand across to hit him, only to be stopped in mid action, as Jun Pyo grabbed her wrist tightly.

"You know you can't control my life forever, _Mother_ ," he said the term with as much abhorrence as he could summon, "Very soon I won't be a child anymore, and if your actions lead me to leave everything he's ever built, I'm sure Father will want to know why I broke my promise to him. And here's where you'll be glad to know that you can trust me again, when I say that I won't hesitate to tell him the entire truth of the matter."

For once, it looked like Madam Kang was the one who was out of options. Her face visibly paled as she stared at him mutely, a look of defeat overcoming her formerly proud expression.

Sensing her silence as a form of surrender, Jun Pyo said with an empty smile, "Since it seems that you have nothing to add to this discussion, I'll assume that we all understand each other and you're going to leave Ji Hoo and his Grandfather alone. With that, I believe this meeting is over and I'd like to take my best friend out to lunch now, if you don't mind."

Without giving his mother a chance to reply, he turned to Ji Hoo and said, "It's been a while since we had a good meal at that steakhouse over in Seocho. Shall we?"

Ji Hoo, who had been silent since Jun Pyo walked in, simply nodded and followed his friend's lead as they left the office.

Mr. Jung stood a fair distance away from the office, a look of fearful horror on his face. As they passed him, Jun Pyo stopped in his tracks briefly to instruct his mother's assistant, "Please reschedule her meetings for the next hour and make sure no one disturbs her in the meantime. I'm quite sure she'll need some time to sort her thoughts out and process everything that's happened."

Mr. Jung nodded, "Yes sir, understood. I'll take care of it."

Jun Pyo then made his way over to the lift with Ji Hoo following close behind. Other than the occasional eye contact, neither of them uttered a word to the other until they got into his car and exited the building's underground parking lot. It was as though neither of them felt it was safe to speak until they've officially fled the villain's lair.

Ji Hoo stared at the passenger's side view mirror until the view of Shinhwa's office complex gradually faded away from sight. He shifted his gaze from the mirror to the river as they passed a highway bridge. The view of the water seemed to help calm him somewhat and he broke the silence between them by saying, "Thank you, Jun Pyo. For what you did back there."

With his eyes still on the road, Jun Pyo replied, "While I would love to take all the credit, you can thank Jan Di, actually."

Ji Hoo's head whirled in the opposite direction to face his friend, "Huh?"

"She knew something was wrong when she saw you leave with Mr. Jung this morning. Then she called me, told me what she saw and asked if there was anything I could do to help you."

Stunned, Ji Hoo could only stare at his friend, letting that knowledge sink in.

"And I'm glad that she called," Jun Pyo added, "Because you are my best friend and I know better than anyone else the kind of woman my mother is. I would never allow her to do to you what she did to me, or worse, hurt your Grandfather."

"Jun Pyo…"

"You know, I should've been furious with her when I heard what she was going to do his foundation and the clinic. But…the only feeling that overcame me at that moment was apathy." Jun Pyo laughed bitterly, before continuing, "I mean, I was crazy mad at her for trying to rip your life apart but aside from that, the feeling I had towards her as a person, as my mother, was _nothing_. Not even a shred of hatred or pity. I don't know if I should find it funny or sad that someone like me could feel absolutely nothing for someone who's supposed to mean a lot in my life. Isn't that pathetic?"

Ji Hoo watched helplessly as Jun Pyo started to tear, knowing that there was little he could do but apologize, "I'm sorry, Jun Pyo."

"No, don't be. If anything, I'm the one who's sorry, Ji Hoo. If you never knew me, this wouldn't have happened to you."

"Hey, don't say such things. I never once regretted knowing you and having you as a best friend, no matter what, so let's not start that nonsense now."

That seemed to put a small but genuine smile on Jun Pyo's face, "Even if Jan Di decides to come back to me?"

Ji Hoo stared at him with a raised eyebrow, for a second, he wasn't too sure if he was joking or not. Maybe the events of last night had been a dream after all.

Jun Pyo gave a sidelong glance at his friend and grinned, "Relax, I wasn't being serious about it, and to be honest I think I knew for a while now that her feelings for me had changed ever since she returned from that island. I was just stubbornly holding on to some sort of irrational hope that I could keep her heart somehow, and didn't want to admit losing her."

It wasn't an answer Ji Hoo was expecting, so he asked, "And you're okay if she decides that she does want to be with me?"

His best friend paused for several seconds, before replying, "Put it this way, if I had lost her to anyone other than you, you wouldn't be seeing me talk about her in such a calm and composed state right now. It doesn't mean that I'm not still hurting, but I know and trust that you're the next best person to take care of her…so, I guess it's something that I'll have to learn to accept eventually."

"Wow, Jun Pyo," Ji Hoo couldn't contain the grin on his face as he stared at his best friend in amazement, "Are you sure you're the real Jun Pyo? I've never heard you talk like that before and you totally sounded like a grown-up just then."

Jun Pyo snorted, "What are you talking about? I've always spoke like an adult!"

"I beg to differ on that point. Do you want me to list all the recent examples?"

That only made Jun Pyo laugh out loud as he shot a quick punch to Ji Hoo's shoulder, "Shut up, you jerk!"

Ji Hoo grinned in reply. It felt good to know that their friendship could get through hell after all.


	11. Chapter 11: The Dream

****A/N:** ** Annyeonghaseyo once again! I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, I was debating whether or not to make this the last chapter, but as I've considered JH and JD's paths, I will have a few more words to put on paper, so though this chapter isn't very long compared to the previous ones, the good news is that this isn't the last one (at least I hope it's good news!). In any case, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter and thank you for reading this little story. :)

 **Chapter 11: The Dream**

 _Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.  
_ James Dean

* * *

 **4 Years Later**

 ** _Jan Di_**

"Come on, there's no time! We're going to miss the bus if we don't run, Mr. Turtle!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him along before he could even finish tying up his shoelaces.

She heard him yelp in sudden surprise, "What? Mr. Turtle? Just who are you calling Mr. Turtle?"

She laughed but didn't bother to turn back or reply. Her only singular focus at that moment was to get them to the bus stop and onto their bus as fast as possible.

"Jan Di!" Ji Hoo called out from behind, "What's with all this running? What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to make sure we're not late, Sunbae! We can't afford to miss the bus again so trust me, you'll be thanking me for this later!"

Despite her head start and his laces being untied, it didn't take long for him to start running beside her, and then to her dismay, easily overtaking the lead to sprint ahead of her, and in no time, he became the one who was pulling her along.

He laughed when she yelled out a strangled war cry as she tried to keep up with his speed. She felt his hand give hers a slight squeeze, "I can see it, we're almost there, Jan Di! C'mon, we can do this!"

Just as they reached the bus stop, there were already several people forming a line to get on their morning bus.

"See what I told you?" She wheezed, feeling as though her lungs were on fire and her legs were about to soften into jelly.

In contrast, Ji Hoo looked perfectly fine. He could even laugh as he guided her to the back of the queue.

She scowled at him as she panted, trying to catch her breath, "Ugh, this is so unfair. How is it that you can be both Doctor McDreamy _and_ Usain Bolt?"

They regarded each other for a moment, and she could tell that he was trying quite hard not to laugh.

"I'm serious, Sunbae! You'd better not laugh about it or you're dead meat!"

The statement only made him break into a wide smile, but before she could react, he ran his hands up her shoulders, pulling her towards him. He gave her a hug and an affectionate kiss on the top of her head, "Thanks for getting us to the bus on time, Jan Di."

Her cheeks blushed beet red in spite of her irritation, and she found it positively incredible that he could still have that effect on her even after four years of being together.

"Don't think I'm letting you get away with it, just because you're so adorable right now," she grumbled as she settled into the seat beside him at the back of the bus, "I'm going to pour a bucket of ice water over your head the next time you oversleep, just watch me!"

Ji Hoo laughed out loud in reply, but any petty anger she had towards him melted when she saw the way he was smiling at her. And while Jan Di would probably never admit it out loud, the truth was that she cherished and appreciated every second of being part of the student medical outreach program. The joy that came from their shared experience together was priceless, and he would never know just how much he inspired her every time she saw him at work, especially when he was taking care of the kids.

"By the way," he said, breaking her out of her reverie, "speaking of getting away, don't forget to pack your bags tonight since we're heading back to Seoul for the weekend."

"I'm way ahead of you, Sunbae," Jan Di replied, somewhat proud of herself for being so prepared, "I've packed everything I needed last night!"

"Already?"

She nodded eagerly, "You cannot believe how excited I am to watch you play, since I never got the chance to see you perform live on stage before."

Ji Hoo smiled, but she could sense his apprehension, and noted the subtle tension around his eyes.

"Honestly, I wish you weren't so excited about it," he chuckled humorlessly.

"Why not?"

"I'm not sure if I could live up to your expectations, Jan Di. I can't say for sure if I'm even half as good as I was four year ago. Most people take years crafting their skill, and I haven't so much as touched a single key in four years, at least not until three months ago."

She grabbed his hand and gave an encouraging squeeze, "I may not be a certified classical music expert, but from what I can tell from the few bits you've allowed me to hear during your weeks of practice, is that even Chopin would've been proud of you!"

"The bits you heard me play were Liszt though, not Chopin."

"List? Like shopping list?"

"No, it's Franz Liszt and it's the name of a very prolific composer during the nineteenth century. He was a child prodigy born in Hungary who started to perform in concert halls at the very young age of nine and..."

She must have looked either very lost or very bored, because he paused then, and said, "Hmm, never mind, it's too long a story. You know, you don't have to say it was good, just because you're my girlfriend," Ji Hoo smirked, "You can tell me the truth if it was really bad, I can take it."

Jan Di shook her head "I know that, and you can believe me when I say that I would've told you right from the start if you were horrible. But the fact is that you're not, and you just need to start believing in yourself more."

He sighed, but returned her kindness by squeezing her hand in response, "I just don't want to let Jun Pyo and the kids down, you know?"

Jan Di nodded, "Yes, and you should know better than anyone that Jun Pyo wouldn't have taken on this project or asked you to do this benefit concert if he had even the slightest doubt of your talents."

She watched Ji Hoo surreptitiously glancing around the bus, before grasping her face, tilting it upward towards him. She saw the intention in his eyes and it was as if they spoke to her in a secret language that only they could understand. She felt her heart skip a beat just as he leaned forward, closing the space between them to kiss her softly on her lips.

Despite her embarrassment from the sudden display of PDA, she found herself breaking into a silly grin in mid-kiss and when he pulled away, she asked, "Where did that come from?"

He beamed at her with a gaze that was full of love, "Nowhere, really. I just wanted to say that you're amazing, Geum Jan Di."

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

He paced back and forth backstage, squeezing and wringing his hands ever so often, his heart was racing a mile a minute, even as he told himself to calm the hell down.

"It's not often that I see you so anxious," said the voice behind him.

He spun around and saw Jun Pyo approach with a smile.

Ji Hoo tried to return the gesture, but he suspected that it was looking more like a grimace, "Well, I have a few good reasons to be nervous, don't I?"

They greeted each other with a brotherly hug and when they pulled apart, Jun Pyo asked, "When you requested for my help to raise funds for charity, did you ever imagine that it would result with you being the one on stage?"

Ji Hoo sighed, "No, and I don't know how you convinced me to do this, but I think I must have been high or temporarily insane at the time."

That made his best friend laugh, "You have to admit that I was right in taking this strategy _and_ deciding to go with you though. You've got a lot of fans who happen to be wealthy beneficiaries and thanks to you, we have a sold-out benefit concert tonight."

"I doubt I actually have fans, though you should probably credit the amazing marketing and PR team you hired, they were able to tell a great story to the public."

"It's only a great story because it's a true story, isn't it?" Jun Pyo patted his friend on the back, "Former renowned classical musician who left the world of music for medicine, returns for one night only to raise funds for the Korean Children's Cancer Foundation."

Ji Hoo shook his head, "Yeah, no pressure."

"C'mon, you can do this, Ji Hoo. I would not have put all of this together if I didn't have faith in you."

Ji Hoo would've laughed if he wasn't so nervous, it was eerily uncanny how Jan Di had said almost the exact same thing to him on the bus just the day before. And while the performance accounted for some of his stress, there was something else on his agenda that was far more important at stake.

"Assuming the concert goes well, and everything will go according to the plan, I just want to say thank you for helping me out with the arrangements, I appreciate it since I, uh…I know this was probably difficult for you, but you still did it."

His best friend gave a sideways grin, "Yes, honestly, it was hard at first, but I've had years to come to terms with the way things are now, and I know we both want what's best for her. As much as I don't want to, I have to admit that I've never seen her happier than she is with you."

"Thanks Jun Pyo, that really means a lot coming from you."

Ji Hoo wanted to say more but before he could, one of the production staff approached them, informing the two friends that the concert was about to begin and they needed their pianist on standby to go on stage now.

They shared a look and Jun Pyo gave a curt nod towards him, "Best of luck, my old friend."

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

The entire concert hall fell silent and the lights on the audience dimmed down to near darkness as soon as he appeared on stage.

She watched in awe, her eyes never leaving his sight, as Ji Hoo walked over to the black grand piano at the front of the stage and then he started to play the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

It might have been because she had never seen him perform an entire piece like this before, but the sight of him now transfixed her, and she watched in rapt fascination, mesmerized by both his music and stage presence. The way his fingers could glide and dance across the keys, effortlessly summoning each note with perfect precision, meticulously timed like clockwork, while the act of the performance itself both conveyed and invoked his absolute passion and emotion for the symphony.

Although she was no connoisseur of classical music, even she could see that the performance he was giving could only be described as spellbinding, and that enchantment would last throughout the concert.

When it had eventually come to a close and Ji Hoo had officially left the stage after several round of encores, Jan Di couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness now that the magical experience was over, and the event of the night would only serve as a memory from this time onward.

As the crowds started to exit the hall, Jun Pyo, who had been sitting beside her, stood up and announced to the group which included Ga Eul, and the rest of the F4, "Come on guys, the party's not over yet."

"Yeah," said Woo Bin, who had also stood up, "it's time for us to head over to the VIP After Party now."

"But aren't we going to wait for Ji Hoo and head down together?", asked Jan Di.

"Don't worry about that," it was Yi Jung who replied this time, "our virtuoso needs to settle some important matters first, so he'll meet us there directly."

* * *

 ** _Ji Hoo_**

He had forgotten what a rush it was to perform like that, all those weeks and months of stress and anxiety, of planning and practicing, everything leading up to that remarkable moment of euphoria on stage. That brief instant of pure bliss, where everything else in the world fades into the background, and all that's left is the audience and the grand piano in front of him on the stage.

Alone in his dressing room after the concert, a small smile escaped him as he stood, staring at the formal suit that he had just changed out of. The part of him that was passionate about music was overjoyed at the once in a lifetime opportunity that just happened, but the feeling was hurriedly dismissed when he thought about how a night like this would very likely never happen again, not as long as he wanted to become a doctor.

His sense of duty to Grandfather would always come first, and if that meant that he would have to stay the course and remain in the world of medicine, then the career path of a renowned concert pianist was understandably out of the question. Although he had come to peace with that choice a long time ago, the performance tonight did bring up deep-rooted feelings of the past when playing classical music was as natural to him as breathing.

And while he was convinced that he had managed to bury and suppress most of those sentiments, tonight's performance brought back his memories and old emotions like an unstoppable tidal wave, crashing through the layers of walls he had so carefully built the day he accepted Grandfather's request, the aspiration for his grandson to one day take over his clinic. Tonight was the first time he had ever felt his conviction of becoming a doctor waver, and he was fleetingly tempted to return to his old world of exquisite symphony.

He sighed and knew that this was a complex matter that would take more time and consideration than he could give right now. Any further thoughts he had on the matter would have to wait as he had a much more important matter to attend to.

Checking the time, he glanced at his watch and saw that it was about time to go. And as he anticipated, there were several loud knocks on the door just then, followed by a familiar voice yelling at him from the other side, "Ji Hoo, hurry up! Stop trying to look pretty and get out here right now!"

He swung the door wide open to find Woo Bin grinning at him mischievously.

"I hope you're ready because we have to leave now if we don't want to get there too late. The rest of the gang have already gone ahead."

Ji Hoo nodded and ran to grab his jacket before hurrying back out, following Woo Bin's lead to the exit, "But we're still stopping by to collect the package first, right?"

"Yeah, of course, just like you and Jun Pyo planned, but are you sure you're ready to do this?"

Despite the nerves, he nodded confidently, "There's a lot of things that I'm not sure about, but this isn't one of them."


	12. Chapter 12: The Life

**Chapter 12: The Life**

 _To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all._ _  
_Oscar Wilde

* * *

 ** _Jan Di_**

She got out of Jun Pyo's car surprised to find that they seemed to be nowhere near anywhere that looked remotely like a location where a VIP After Party would be held.

"Jun Pyo, are you sure we're at the right place? Why are we in the middle of a parking lot at the theme park?"

Jun Pyo, who had also just stepped out of the car, came around to her side, "Yes, Jan Di, trust me. You are certainly at the precise place you are meant to be at this moment in time."

She frowned, "Well, this is weird. Doesn't look like there's anybody else around here."

He gave a soft chuckle and offered her his extended arm, "C'mon, take my arm, and I'll escort you to your destination."

Still confused, she asked, "We're going into the theme park now? But why?"

"You'll know it when you see it in a while. I just have to make sure you get to your destination safely."

She stared at him, still with a look of puzzlement.

"And to be honest," he added, "I also wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you privately for a bit."

Trusting him, despite her doubt, she looped her arm over his and followed his lead, "But isn't the theme park closed now?"

"To the public, yes, but not for you."

As they entered the grounds of the theme park, Jan Di noticed that there were lights coming from somewhere inside, "This isn't some elaborate plot to try and woo me back into your arms, is it? Because if you are, I'll stop you this instant and say that this certainly won't work because Ji Hoo and I are still going on strong."

Jun Pyo laughed, "Trust me, I'm not stupid enough to try that again."

"Good," she nodded, happy that he was at least clear about that.

After a beat, he added, flashing her with a sideways grin, "Unless, of course you're totally bluffing and that you're in actuality, not happy with him. In which case, I'd love the chance to try and be your man again. It's still not too late, Jan Di!"

She glared at him before rolling her eyes and with her free hand, whacked him hard on the arm that was escorting her towards the theme park, "Gu Jun Pyo! Don't you dare even joke about such things!"

"Owww!" He winced in genuine pain, stopping them in their tracks temporarily, "Ah, seriously, did you have to hit me so hard?"

She nodded, "Yes, because otherwise, you won't learn from your mistakes."

Fixing a steely glare at her, he muttered, "Now I have some major doubts about letting Ji Hoo go out with you. I'm not sure if my best friend would be able to survive being in a relationship with a Shaolin Kung Fu master such as yourself."

At that remark, her expression transformed instantly. In a voice full of affection, she replied, "You won't have to worry about that happening because firstly, unlike you, he'd never say to me anything that would even deserve a pinch, much less a punch in the face."

"And secondly?"

"Secondly, I'm quite sure that I love him too much to ever hurt him that way."

Catching the brief pensive look that crossed Jun Pyo's expression, she probed, "What?"

He looked at her then, full of meaning in his eyes that she couldn't quite read, and a small but wistful smile played on his lips as he replied, "Even though I am very envious for the most part, I have to also admit that I'm happy for the both of you, that you at least have each other to rely on."

He took a deep breath before continuing, "I mean it when I say that I hope the both of you will continue to live your lives to the fullest and that you will both live in the moment, being happy together."

Surprised at his heartful admission, Jan Di said, "Thank you, Jun Pyo, for what you just said, and for still being his best friend after all this time."

"Well, I know he would've done the same for me, if you had chosen me back then, and also, I'm happy to say that we're finally here."

Their walk slowed to a stop and Jan Di gasped at the view in front of her, recognizing it instantly.

"If you go on ahead, you'll find him waiting for you at the dock."

They were at the front of the entrance leading to the ferry ride that Ji Hoo took her on four years ago on her birthday wish date.

Jun Pyo pulled her in and gave her a warm hug. When they pulled apart, he left her with a parting message, "I really wish you all the happiness in this world, Jan Di. You're an amazing girl and you deserve to be with someone just as great. Always listen to your heart and be true to yourself, okay?"

She nodded, tears falling down her cheeks, she sniffled, "I will and thank you, Jun Pyo,"

He smiled and wiped her tears with his thumbs, "C'mon, go on ahead now, don't keep the poor guy waiting."

* * *

 _ **Ji Hoo**_

After twinning the last string of fairy lights along the rails of the upper deck, Ji Hoo headed back down to the lower deck.

He grabbed the bouquet of flowers that he had left on one of the seats and stepped out of the ferry, to stand on the dock, ready to examine his handiwork. He looked to the boat operator who was still on the ferry and gave him a slight nod and thumbs up sign to give the approval. The boat operator, in turn nodded back in reply before heading back to the cabin.

Ji Hoo chewed on his lower lip nervously and after a minute, to his relief, the entire boat was suddenly illuminated in a rainbow of multicolored and twinkling fairy lights.

He heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that the plan was on track so far. Just then, his mobile vibrated and he saw that it was a text from Jun Pyo.

"Just reached the parking lot of the theme park, taking her to you now. You better be ready!"

Putting the mobile back into his jacket pocket, he informed the boat operator that they would be taking off very soon and got himself into position, hiding the bouquet behind his back. The silence was deafening and the passing seconds felt like hours to him. Frozen in place, he knew that the stress of awaiting for her arrival was ten times worse than having to perform on stage earlier.

Just then, he saw a figure racing towards him, dressed in a silver dress that shimmered as she moved, standing out in stark contrast against the surrounding black of night, she looked like an angel rushing to his rescue.

Just the sight of her calmed his nerves and he felt an uncontrollable grin spread across his face.

Even from a distance, he could see her eyes widen in surprise when she saw him and the brightly lit ferry boat. Without taking their eyes off each other, she ran the last few steps and leapt into his arms. Catching her easily, he held her close to him and swept her off her feet, making her yelp in delight and laughter as he spun her around several times before setting her back on the ground.

They laughed some more, and he handed her the small bouquet of flowers, which thankfully managed to stay mostly intact despite the whirling about earlier.

"Sunbae," she panted slightly, still trying to catch her breath, "these are beautiful, thank you. And the ferry looks almost magical, you did this yourself didn't you?"

He nodded and confessed, "I've missed you so much today."

"Is that why we're not at the VIP After Party?" She joked, "Because you wanted some alone time?"

He smiled cryptically and took her free hand, giving it a slight squeeze, "Maybe. Between everything that's been going on, I'm sorry that it's taken so long for us to go on a proper date."

"This is more than a proper date though, this is like an ultra-date. I bet even Cinderella would be jealous of me right now."

Ji Hoo shook his head and leaned over her for a quick kiss on her forehead.

"So does that make me cooler than Prince Charming?"

Jan Di nodded, "Prince Charming's got nothing on you."

Ji Hoo couldn't help the grin on his face as he led her to the ferry, taking her straight to the upper deck while the ferry started it's ride around the theme park.

He cradled her from behind as they stood along the edge, and she found herself reminiscing the memories of their first date at this very place four years ago.

"You know," she said, shyly admitting, "I think I really fell in love with you that day when you made my birthday wishes come true."

"Really?"

She nodded, adding, "As we were watching the fireworks, I could feel my heart pounding when we stood here back then, and I remember being afraid that if I looked into your eyes for another second longer, I would lose control."

"Wow, if I had known that four years ago, I would've just kissed you and asked you to be mine right there and then."

She laughed and shook her head, "I probably would've run far, far away back then if you suddenly tried that!"

Ji Hoo pulled away from her slightly, turning her to face him, he then asked, in all seriousness, "But Jan Di, can I ask you something very important?"

With a tilt of her head, she answered with a questioning look, prompting him to continue.

"Since the day we met, you have changed me and you have showed me what it was like to truly live life. I know for certain that I wouldn't be as happy as I am now, if it weren't for you and I want you to know that you're the most important person in my life, and that if I can help it, I will never let you go."

Jan Di's eyes widened, staring at him in surprise, "What are you saying, Sunbae?"

Ji Hoo pulled a tiny box from the inner pocket of his jacket and popped it open to reveal an exquisite ring. He had chosen a round brilliant diamond set in a simple white gold band for her. It was elegant and simple, yet stunning and bright, just like her.

"I'm saying that if you will let me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and be the one who's at your side at every step of the way."

* * *

 _ **Jan Di**_

She held his hand as they approached the grave site. They stood beside each other, both silently wishing that Grandfather was here with them. Ji Hoo took a step forward, placing the bouquet of fresh white flowers at the foot of his tombstone.

"I'm sorry that it's been a while, Grandfather," said Ji Hoo, "we would've visit earlier but we've both been very busy with school."

"I'm happy to report that Sunbae is still keeping his grades up and hasn't lost his place as the top student in his course," Jan Di added.

"Jan Di's doing great too, she's been putting in lots of effort and even joined the medical outreach program with me. I know you would be so proud of her."

Jan Di felt Ji Hoo squeezing her hand affectionately, and she returned the gesture with a small smile.

"Anyway, Grandfather, Sunbae and I have some important news to share, and we wanted you to be one of the first few to know."

Still clasping onto Ji Hoo's hand, Jan Di held her hand up proudly, revealing the ring on her fourth finger.

"He finally proposed!" She grinned. Then she gave a sideways glance at Ji Hoo, "Took you long enough, Sunbae."

"Hey," Ji Hoo chuckled, "I wasn't even sure if you'd want to do this before we graduate."

"Well, you know how I feel about you, so you should've known," she joked, recalling what her brother, Kang San had told her the day before when she called to share the good news with her family. They were frankly relieved that it had finally happened, and apparently, she had her mom to thank for motivating and encouraging him to propose to her sooner.

By the time they arrived home, it was already evening and the house was in total darkness. Ji Hoo had sent the entire staff home for the weekend so they could have some private time.

"Shall I make us some ramyeon tonight?" she asked, as she entered the house.

"Sure, but before we do that," Ji Hoo tugged her back, "I've been wanting to do this the whole day."

"Hmm? What's that?" She asked.

He grinned and without a word of warning, pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, taking her breath away.

"I love you, Jan Di." He whispered against her lips, and she mirrored his smile with one of her own. But before she could reply, the lights suddenly came on and seemingly out of nowhere, all their friends jumped out and shouted aloud, "Congratulations!"

The couple stood in shock, blushing in embarrassment as they took in the sight before them.

Balloons and streamers decorated their entire living room and a giant banner reading "It's Finally Happening!" hung across the wall.

There was a moment of stunned silence before Woo Bin asked, "Surprised?"

The couple nodded dumbly and Ji Hoo squinted his eyes in suspicion, "How did you guys even get into the house?"

"It's a trade secret," Jun Pyo winked.

Yi Jung smirked evilly, "You didn't think we would let you two get away with this so easily, did you?"

Ga Eul approached them first, dragging the astonished couple into the living room, "C'mon guys, don't just stand there!"

It didn't take long for them to get the party into full swing, and while their friends were still in the midst of it, Ji Hoo managed to secretly send a signal to Jan Di, asking her to meet him outside where the garden was for some much needed quiet and privacy.

A few minutes later, she found him at the bench where they had so often sat together before, staring up into the night sky. She took a seat beside him and lovingly held his hand.

"Did you have fun?"

He broke into a small smile, and turned to look at her, "Surprisingly so. And you?"

She nodded in agreement, before adding, "Although I was a little embarrassed about being caught in the act earlier,"

He chuckled warmly, "Well, I've decided that since we're official now anyway, we should just own it and not be embarrassed."

The idea of it made her laugh and she gripped his collar, pulling him towards her, she whispered, "I love you too, Sunbae," before kissing him with as much feeling and passion she could convey in that one act.

 **THE END**

* * *

Final A/N: Sorry for not updating this sooner. I was, in all honesty, not long ago going through a difficult break up, and found it hard to freely write and give these characters their voices, at least not without what was going on in my own life affecting them. So I had to make the difficult decision to hold off until I could write this objectively again and I'm glad that I did because I really enjoyed being a part of their journey and I wanted to give them the ending that they deserved.

Anyway, I hope that for the most part, you've also enjoyed this story and I hope to soon write again sometime in the near future. Thank you for being part of this journey, and I hope to read your comments and thoughts about it.


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